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alotsgonnachange · 3 years

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Mystic Messenger Saeran’s AE Thoughts (.......And Prayers..) #Spoilerz

Hello, I just finished Saeran’s after ending and I have a lot of things to say and I am going to write it down while I'm still all keyed up about it.

First of all… Please DO NOT ask me how much money I spent to finish this as fast as I did…. I’m grown but my bank account is certainly going to have a good ole fashioned CHUCKLE at this….. It’s been a long quarantine I deserve a lil happiness as a treat methinks!

I have been playing this absolutely insane game since I think 2016? When I first started playing the deep routes had JUST come out I think? And I was just finishing up high school and am now a college grad...lmao

I’ve played all routes at least once except Jaehee but i’ve seen walkthroughs of her route (I’ve heard it makes you hate Jumin and he’s my favorite so um. hehe). V’s and Saeran’s routes I found to be so emotionally intense and just….a lot and I've been waiting a long ass god damn time for this after ending okay…. I would theorize and make up an ending in my head but i’m no writer so it was hard to figure out lol. I’m a Jumin stan mostly but I love everybody and yeah I should probably play that jumin dlc too but I need like a DAY to recover from Saeran’s AE. Enough about me HERE are my thoughts on it overall

Major Saeran AE Spoilers under da cut!

Can we please discuss V showing up to the C+R conference room with basically chloroform and made everybody Pass Out like??? I was alone in my room at like midnight just SCREAMING at my phone???? And the creepy ass CG ???? It’s like that gif of sarah paulson from ahs being like “I put arsenic in the wine….and the pasta”

Anyway I screamed at V a lot during this process!!

Loved RFA being sweet and kind to saeran (before V fucking drugged them…)

This is such common V behavior “I have to do it all myself...there’s no other way..” GIRL SHUT UPPP You do this every route....

SO many CG’s and I enjoy them a lot

Saeran’s sprite looks a little TOO crisp compared to everyone else but maybe its a glitch??? V next to him is in 480p while saeran is like 1080p

Hearing both Saeran and Saeyoung missing the other brother the whole time??? PAIN. All my homies know is PAIN

BOSS and his V for Vendetta ass guy fawkes mask??? I literally yelled “this game is TERRIBLE!!” several times at my phone

Their dad is so>??????? When he was sitting on the couch with saeyoung in that one CG while simultaneously telling him to kill himself?????????? Maybe chairman han is actually the best dad in this game somehow

When V and Rika were like we’re back together teehee teehee okay pack it up bonnie and clyde ..

When chairman han calls u and says hes jealous of u and saeran…..HUH????? I’m calling HR

When they go to the apartment and see boss and vanderwood and poor saeyoung is sitting there seeing his brother for the first time in years i wanted to D word sooooo bad like PAIN...PAIN….

Can we HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT JUMIN HAN BEING THE BEST CHARACTER IN THE GAME AND HE LOST EVERYTHING IN THIS AE……. he just took the blame and moved on jumin what the hell….. I love him so much r we serious? He watched his 2 closest friends betray him in the worst way and found out abt how Rika abused Saeyoung and Saeran???? I felt just AWFUL. Terrible ...Terrible….

Rika’s change in demeanor from Saeran's actual route is certainly a Choice. I find her much more bearable this time around and unfortunately i think I was too nice to her and ended up with a bad end LMFAO

I was happy to see Saeran stand up for himself and become stronger and confident. You go king!

The CG of Yoosung laying in Zen’s lap is everything to me…

HOWEVER YUP I sure did get a bad ending and I was so mad fdsafdskfdhsf ! (I would be happy to clarify how I got the good one the second time.) MAKE SURE To SAVE EARLY in days 2 and 3 bc the branches on day 4 is where the bad end will show up. For me it was the first day 4 chat and then a story mode titled “SAVIOR”.... If you see that RUN FOR THE HILLS!!

I was so mad! But I had saved in day 2 and replayed and MANAGED to get good end

I’m obsessed with everyone calling V and Rika “that psychotic couple” like…..its true its true…

No those two are so toxic… V’s route was torture watching them go on and on about the sun like yo can yall just call each other babe like normal people.

I respect straight people but not V and RIka that shit was just wrong… Straight marriage was a mistake

Oh lord i also FULLY Forgot Rika killed the twins’ mother…. Yeah that scene was um Certainly a lot but it needed to happen eventually

Like it’s good they know but damn that storyline is just so bleak

I think it was satisfying TO A DEGREE….To see Rika understand where she was wrong, why she was wrong, fess up and even APOLOGIZE! I was very surprised.

Saeran and Saeyoung are Certainly twins with the amount that those two self sacrifice in every route MY GOD…..

The scene with Jumin talking to his father and the other scene of him praying oh my god I cannot tell you how happy I was to see him begin to understand and address his own feelings in a route that was not his own. My main problem with Jumin’s route has always been the trapping MC in his penthouse aspect.. This way Jumin understands love and emotions without being overly possessive !!! YAY also loved seeing him be on good terms with his dad who was surprisingly profound

That last Story mode was Really a Lot…. and Strange things occurred which I will get into in just a minute

Jumin becoming a politician is so funny but ngl … i see it.

Yoosung going to france to study pastries ok king I see u! (it made more sense to me than the vet thing anyway)

Lastly Zen FURRY ERA

MY BEEF With the AE

I was happy with how they handled it for the most part. I think Cheritz heard our feedback about V’s after ending and was like okay….let’s try something different

HOWEVER

Saeran…. Sweet kind saeran… IS SO AFFECTIONATE HAHA….

He must have said I love you like 300 times…..very mushy gushy flowery language...and maybe that’s just his personality but for me it was like eating cake with buttercream cake. It means well, but god damn is it sugary and going to cause a stomach ache later.

He was just… SO MUCH! SO forward and ON all the time in his affections. I honestly felt kind of smothered and by day 3 and 4 I was sooooo over all the compliments… King you’ve come a very long way, but ur still putting MC on a pedestal and probably need to see a therapist.

Nextly….Rika and V….. Naw that knock out gas really ...that hurt lol. Coming from “I would do anything to protect RFA” V? Idk like…. EYE felt betrayed reading that. It was just hurtful. I can’t even imagine how the members would have felt as they were passing out. It was just so cruel. I suppose I understand why but like?? Just TERRIBLE

Them being in cahoots with the agency and the prime minister..HUH??? Also too much

V just felt so irresponsible like I do understand that he ended up in a weird web of secrets that’s hard to untangle but he’s so fucking stubborn he’s SO stubborn it makes me insane. Like sir… It seems like in other routes he wanted to try to protect Rika and the RFA.. But in this AE it seems more to me that he was like yeah i’m protecting Rika and That’s It… so fucking hurtful to me. Both of y’all apologize ESPECIALLY to the twins and Jumin..

The forgiveness thing…… Okay so I think some people will not like that Saeran decided to “forgive” the people who hurt him (Rika, V, Saejoong, his mother). I would point out that I actually think this was approached somewhat well. He says at one point that he doesn’t think they’re good or bad, just people. I think he sounded mature and like this was the way for him personally to accomplish his healing process. Would I have loved for Saeran to flip V and Rika off and kick Saejoong off a cliff? Yea I really would. But like…. If that’s what HE needs to do to heal then who am I to judge?

HOWEVER…. Everything Eye just said goes out the window when the scenes at the end with Saejoong come up… I was PERPLEXED. Like why did he HUG his deranged father who just kicked the shit out of him??? Also all the chat options that MC has with him r like blah blah you’re like this because no one loves you were so corny to me LMFAOOOO?

AND WHEN HE WAS IN THE ROOM LATER WITH SAERAN… i’m sorry but if that were me I would have called a nurse to deck his ass. Cool he turned himself in YOU SUCK SOOOO BAD AND I NEVER WANT YOU TO COME NEAR SAEYOUNG AND SAERAN AGAIN THANKS.

*scratches ass* I wish I got to see saeyoung and saeran finally sit down and have that first conversation after a long time and hug CG but the ending was fine I GUESS….. I dont care about ROMANCE I want those boys to be happy brothers together

Anyway that was really emotionally exhausting but I fr think I got it out of my system after literal years… And I can rest in peace knowing the choi twins are happy. THATS ALL I WANTED TO KNOW!!!!

#Saeran Choi #Saeran AE #Saeran after ending #Saeran AE spoilers #Mystic messenger #Mysme #Saeran after ending spoilers #mystic messenger spoilers

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tellywoodtrash · 3 years

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immj2 28+29.12.20 lbs

ok we just gonna skimmmmmmmmmmmmm through these eps real quick, coz i wanna get back to reading my Bridgerton books.

28.12.20

i ship this so much, it fuckin hurtsssssss. GIVE ME THE KILLING EVE-ESQUE SAPPHIC ROMANCE I WANT, TELLYWOOD, STOP BEING SUCH FUCKING COWARDSSSSSSSSSSSSS

aaaaaaand she’s disappeared.

................... coz angre got his hands on her. angre i swear to god if you don’t unhand her and go back to just simping for your wife...........

lmao she bit him and ran away.

................ straightttttttttt into vansh’s arms.

oh shit. i ship this too????? fuck, this show is just too chock-full with ridiculously good looking people and i need them all to kiss each other’s necks.

ok, maybe not. BAAT BAAT PE YEH MANHOOS CHAAKU KYUN NIKAAL LETA HAI?!!?!? HAVE YOU NOT HEARD THAT THE PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN THE POCKET-CHAKKU?!!?!?

anyway, ahaana’s got a brain and just started screaming her head offfff for riddhima. which is what a normal person (read, anyone NOT RIDDHIMA) would do.

hein who this curly haired girl????

anyway, ahaana like i gots a secrettttt to tellll you. ABOUT VANSHHHHHHHH.

kabir a messyass bitch like me and is like ooooooooooooh ab aayega mazzaaaa.

iss sab ke beech ishani like heyyyy, this is my dress!!!!!! SIS, NO ONE CARES, WE ABOUT TO GET SOME HELLA GOOD GOSSIP. JESUS. PRIORITIES!!!

ahaana like someone wants to killllllllllllllllllll meeeeeeeeeeeeeee, and riddhima is like huh what who why they wanna kill you???? and sis, i think you know from living in this murder-house that ppl don’t particularly need a reason as such to wanna kill you. they just like homicide as a hobby.

vansh like I SHALLLLLLLLLLL PROTECT YOUUUUUUUUUU, YOU SHALL LIVE HERE. sir, i’m pretty sure it’s YOU that she’s talking about that wants to kill her.

riddhima like uhhhhhhhhh??? the fuck is going on? why you promising security to this chick who wanted to phodofy your bhaanda????

SOMEONE TELL ME WHO THAT CURLY HAIR GIRL IS, HAVE I FORGOTTEN A WHOLEASS CHARACTER OF THIS SHOW COZ I DIDN’T WATCH FOR 2 DAYS???????

anyway riddhima like WHOOOOOOOO IS SHEEEEE, YOU KNOW EACH OTHER FROM BEFORE????????? like damn, your psycho murderous ex is living in this house thanks to you, and vansh can’t even know a woman that’s not you????/

ahaana going on and on about this stupid SECRET and omg just spit it out or gtfo. i have 8 books of regency era sexy shenanigans to read, and i’m wasting time here on this nonsense.

ok. she saved his life. and did “seva” it seems. lmao the mental image i have.

“vansh, apna vaada yaad hai na? ki tum mera karz chukaaoge; keemat ya shakl jo bhi ho.” oh???????? big promise from vansh, if true.

vansh beginning to regret making such lofty vows.

(also mmmmmmm, what else dat pouty mouth do, baby???)

dadi has taken over and is like you saved my vansh‘s lifeeeeeeee, i shall make sure vansh keeps his promise, blah blah. lord WHAT IS THE POINT OF ALLLLLLL THISSSSSS?!?!?

riddhima like, why did you call me if you wanted to get in touch with him? why not just call him directly????

shaaaaaady reactions from vansh/ahaana at that. lightttttt goes out.

comes back on, and angre like fuck all this, let’s celebrate the new yearrrrrrrr. not sus at all. y’all are alllllllllllllll so fucking shady man. god, ahaana, just bust my girl ridz outta here and go to alaska and eat spaghetti together. iykyk.

and they all just started ballroom dancing as if they’re in beauty and the beast. attention span of a fucking gnat these ppl have. ek baat pe dhyaan nahi tiktiiii.

i’m here for this also. i just want all the sexy ppl to be with each other. idc who is with whom. just put any two of them together and i’m happy.

these two throwing some chabayaa hua dhamkis at each other. I DON’T CAAAAAAAAAAAAAARE UNLESS YOU SPILLING SPECIFIC DEEEEEEEEEEETS.

iske dimaag ke ghode kentucky derby mein daudne lage hain.

and hubs fullllllllllllly knows. he wanted exactly that.

she tries to ask questions and as usual, he shuts her down with ainvayi ki philosophy. MAN WHAT WILL IT FUCKING TAKE FOR YOU TO ANSWER A QUESTION STRAIGHT?????

big talk about pyaaaar and vishwaaaas and bro, i fully know what you’re doing here, you fucking bastard. bloody gaslighting her into ignoring her own instincts in the name of trusting you. like yes, she’s like extraaaa with the jasoosi, but she’s asking RELEVANT, PERTINENT QUESTIONS.

meanwhile this rakshason ki toli has got their hands on the “yes okay i’m a spy!!!!!!!!!!!!!” recording that siya had. great. wonderful. best.

they decide to wait for right moment to use it and show vansh. oh you fucking dumbasses................... he already knows. this is the problem; no one bothers to fucking communicate in this family.

kabir trying to get the goss outta ahaana, but vansh ne mundi se ishaara kiya and angre just threw a drink on K, so he had to leave to go change.

i like her.

lol she called him a loser. never has a character been more right about all the men of this stupid show.

ahaana staring at vansh in a real strange way. oh bro, kya kaand kiya tha iske saath????? sach sach bolllllllllll.

these two seem have slid into each other’s inboxes already???? oh yeaaaaaaaaah.

ishani has come back with one V for Vendetta mask and is smirking some more about how riddhima is going down. *sigh* same old, same old.

more ainvayi ka dancing. man, what a waste of a filler episode.

at the dinner table, riddhima finds a chit saying your life is in danger, come meet me out in the backyard. ishani and aryan and chachi making real weird faces. did they send the note or did ahaana???? either way, this not gonna end well for riddhima. as per always.

it’s got to the point where EVEN riddhima is calling out the plotholes in the damn show out loud; saying ahaana said HER life was in danger, now how the fuck is this all about MY life being in danger???

anyway the dumbass goes to investigate.

she got shoved into a car by V for Vendetta (that’s what they should call the show.) which is now filling up with smoke. wonderful.

———————————————————————

29.12.20

she’s so fucking stupid. there’s no way the car doors can be locked from the outside in such a way that they cannot be opened from the inside. peeche ke doors pe child-lock hain bhi, toh she can just climb to the front and open the front doors and jump out. honestly riddhima.

ishani trying to distract vansh from going to look for riddhima with chocolate cake.

vansh is me. cake pakda diya toh duniya ki koi parwaah nahi. it just meeeeeeeeeee and my cake, made for each other, truuueeeeeee loveee.

ALSO LMAO WHY DOES THIS DUDE EAT CAKE LIKE THIS?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

riddhima still choking and struggling like a dumbass.

cake done, vansh off to look for his wife. gotta say, he’s got his priorities straight.

ishani making shady faces with Guy Fawkes mask. godddddd. who cares who cares who caresssss?

after 19023019283092130912390 moments of suspense, he finally found her and broke her outta the car.

some loving scolding for wandering off without telling him. dude’s she’s a grownass woman, not a toddler/pet.

anyway she told him someone shoved her in the car and he’s clenching his jaw most magnificently mmmmmmm that jawwww.

ab yeh kaunsi nayi musibat hai???

he’s promising to find and punish whoever and she’s thinking omg it kabir?!?!?!!!!!!!! as if noooooone else in the house wants to murder her.

she’s like you saved me again!!!!!!!! and he’s literally like stop playing khatron ke khiladi up in here every day and i won’t have to, bitch.

ishani literalllllly flaunting that mask on her arm and riddhima like OUFF YEH KHOOONI NANAD BAAZ NAHI AATI.

side mein dekha toh kabir also has one like that.

lmao everyyyyyyone has one of these masks.

R like i need to gtfo here from the presence of all these assholes, k byeeeeee.

she’s confronting ahaana ki why you call me outside and not show up yourself????

ahaana like, bitch tf you talking about? i didn’t call you or send any chit??!?!! get used to it ahaana, iss ghar mein rahogi toh yeh hourly occurance hai, aisa random chutiyaapa. tumhein toh aadat hogi hi, pichle janam mein oberois ke saath jo rahi ho.

riddhima bringing up vansh and ahaana like YOUR MAN SHADYYYYY AF. YOU SHOULDN’T TRUST HIM SO MUCH. iss ek line se hi i have gotten it ki ahaana has been planted by vansh and he’s trying to see if riddhima falls for anyone else’s hearsay again.

riddhima is giving speech about how much she trusts vansh and they’re each others’ parchhaai or some such shit, and lmaoooooooooooooo ahaana’s face......

same, sis. absolutely saaaame.

ahaana like “zindagi mein har bimaari ki dawaai hai, par galatfehmi ki nahi.” snortttttttt.

ahaana going heavy on “vansh don’t love you, he wants to killll your ass” speech and ouff....... ofc riddhima won’t listen. dumbass.

there is not ONE wrong thing ahaana is saying about vansh. not ONE. literally all of it is true. i mean, maybe he does “love” her or whatever, but kya hi karein aise bekaar roz roz life ruin karne waale pyaar ka? isse achcha toh naa hi kare pyaar.

aaaaaaaaand she got slapped for truth-telling. fuck. riddhima, you are such a fucking dumbass. where all this slappiness for your damn husband who was lying to your face for monthssssss, huh????

ugh mera pati mera ishq bhashaan. this chick deserves to be murdered. blindass.................. she’s doing the exact same shit she did with kabir, total blindddddd faith without listening to any reason. she deserves to be fucked over if she refused to learn anything from that kaand and won’t use her fucking brain even now.

honestly this sanctimonious speech she’s giving ahaana........

but for once she’s using her MAALKIN OF THE HOUSE rutba and telling to ahaana to gtfo the house.

lmao ahaana like tell vansh to throw me out, and i’ll go.

cut to......... riddhima is randomly staring at a ladder. as one does.

helllllllllllllllllllllllo. 😏😏😏

riddhima trying to tell vansh ki ahaana is off her rocker and....

well okay then! no more talking about ahaana! 🥰🥰🥰

great. all that was buttering up for the trust test he has set up for her.

climb the ladder, it seems. oh boy. i know what’s coming............

lmaooooo she climbs it and is like ok now you know that i trust you??? can i come back down now??? LOL DUMBASS HOW DID YOU NOT GUESS WHAT HE WANTED FROM THE MOMENT HE TOLD YOU TO CLIMB???????? dimaag ghutno mein hai iss ladki ki.

he’s telling her to jump. ofc. fucking asshole. tereko shauk hai random high places se chhalaang maarne ko toh you’ll make everyone do it or what?

HE’S ACTUALLY GETTING MAD AT HER HESITATION AND ALL I’LL CATCH YOU, DO YOU NOT TRUST ME?????? main hoti toh kehti ki bro, it’s not you that i don’t trust, i just know gravity as a force is more powerful than you are.

stupid stupiddddd bitch. she’s doing it also. DUDE, THIS IS A CLASSIC ABUSIVE TECHNIQUE, WHY DON’T YOU KNOW ANYTHINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG RIDDHIMAAAAA?!!?!?!? LIKE........................ THIS IS WHY PEOPLE SHOULDN’T BE ALLOWED TO GET MARRIED BEFORE THE AGE OF 30. THEIR BRAINS ARE JUST NOT GROWN ENOUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

how self satisfied she looks. fucking dumbass.

while his face is like ‘i can’t believe the twit actually did it.’

some more talk about how she trusts him mosttttttttttttttttttttttttt in the world, while he gets horny for it. god, what a pair of boring dysfunctional fucks. i liked it better when he was vihaan and had a bondage kink.

bharosa talk bharosa talk and oh my god it’s sooooooo fucking obvious he’s planted ahaana to test her and her trust. aaj yeh toh bas level 1 tha. the chutiyaapa just gonna go up from here.

she’s like i don’t like ahaana, why does she have to stay here? he’s turning it back on her and saying if we trust each other, what does it matter if she stays here or says whatever????? which ....... is just some reallyyyyyyyyyyyyy manipulative BS.

he’s saying she has some “issues” that he’ll handle. oh lord. ahaana in danger of getting murdered by this fucker too.

riddhima giving some more vaasta of her neverending trust.........

while this asshole makes these very TRUSTWORTHY faces.

aaaaaaaaaaaaand someone watches them. as per usual. no wonder vansh made sure to go far far far far away from this house to get some nookie. idhar karte toh it would be like those olden days royal weddings, where the whole court would come and sit and watch the marriage being consummated.

#ishq mein marjawan 2 #immj2 #immj2 lbs #episode liveblogs

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silverynight · 5 years

Note

As a personal favor, can you write something with Gellert and Albus comforting Newt when one of his creatures passes away? It’s for reasons. Thank you💙

Newt says he's okay, he has experienced it before anyway; he has dealt with it in the past and knows it's another step, perhaps the final one or maybe it's just another journey.

He knows this. And even when his fwooper started fading away and her feathers lost their pink colour Newt didn't cry. He took care of her as best as he could knowing what was going to happen, knowing she was old and there was nothing else he could do about it.

Newt never put a silencing spell on her, he trusted her and she never sang to him in return, it was like she knew that her song would drive him mad and she was protecting him somehow. But she had other ways of showing him affection; she would fly inside the small room inside his case and stay with Newt until he was ready to go to sleep.

She couldn't sing, but she listened to Newt instead. She listened when Newt came back inside the case and started babbling about Albus bringing him flowers and pastries and a certain dark lord that wanted the three of them to be in a relationship.

"I–I don't know what to do, Angélique."

Newt wasn't sure about it, but appreciated it whenever Gellert helped him save another creature or when Albus came to visit him and persuaded him to have dinner together.

Angélique saw Newt fall in love with them and she saw him one day with a beautiful ring on his finger that he said Gellert had made himself.

The fwooper finally met the two wizards, but didn't quite approve of them until a couple of weeks later, until she was sure they would take care of her Newt.

When it happens... When Angélique finally closes her eyes as Newt caresses her head he doesn't cry, he doesn't feel anything and both Albus and Gellert are at his side, looking with concern at him the whole time.

Newt insists he's okay, but Gellert refuses to go out that day and Albus stays in the kitchen making cocoa and Newt's favourite cookies.

"There's no need," the magizoologist insists. "I'm fine."

But 'fine' it's like an empty space in his chest that it's not pain or sorrow, but it's not calm or peace either.

He's not sure what it is.

And then, the next day when Fawkes comes into his room in the morning and Newt sees his bright feathers he freezes right before bursting into tears.

The phoenix disappears and comes back with Albus and Gellert who sit right next to Newt on the bed.

"I don't know why... I just–I was alright," he sobs... He takes a deep breath, but it comes with more tears. "I know it was time... She wasn't feeling good and she was old but..."

"You miss her," Albus whispers and Newt nods while Gellert leans to kiss him on his soft, reddish curls.

"I–I do," he admits... It hurts, but Newt realizes that is so much better than the empty space on his chest he had before.

"I believe she left you one of her feathers," Gellert comments, looking at the pink one in Newt's hand, Angélique had given it to him before her feathers began to lose their colour. "I know a spell to preserve it."

Newt nods and feels more relaxed; there are just a few tears left and the ache in his chest is still there, but it's not so painful anymore. He allows Albus to push him on the bed and sighs, almost relieved when he lays down next to him.

Gellert gives him back the bright feather and Newt presses it against his chest.

"What do you need, Liebling?"

"I want you two to stay with me."

"You don't even need to ask, baby," Albus nuzzles his neck as Gellert gets on the bed next to him.

Angélique would definitely approve of this, Newt thinks with a soft smile on his face as he closes his eyes in the middle of his two wizards.

His chest starts feeling warm again.

#i send you a hug in case you need it #grindelnewt #scamandore #grindelmandore #fbtcog #death tw #mourning #fantastic beasts #albus dumbledore #gellert grindelwald #newt scamander

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catchester · 4 years

Text

12 Days of Christmas

Title: Ten Lords a Leaping

Authors: @evieplease and @catchester

Which character: Actor!Tom and OFC Rocky

Genre: Humour/Explicit

Fic Summary: Tom and Rocky spend their first Christmas as a couple and Rocky meets Tom’s Mum for the first time. Expect 12 gifts, too much boozy, bad puns and lots of fun!

Rating: Mature

Previous Chapters: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17138390/chapters/40304798

Chapter 13 - 10 Lords a Leaping

Knowing that the Ten Lords a Leaping was looming, I’d spent ages wracking my brain to come up with something for Tom’s Tenth Day of Christmas present. Why did I ever agree to this mad scheme? But after his Nine Ladies Dancing I needed to raise the bar. Wait. Oh dear. If I couldn’t get Lords to Leap, maybe Tom and I could do the Leaping? From barre to bar? There are loads of pubs with Lords and Royalty in their names in the greater London metropolitan area!

An hour with google maps and Bob’s yer uncle! I had a list of pubs and a walking map. There were some really terrible pub names out there! I mean, The Royal Flush? Really? They’d better have excellent plumbing!

However, I found the best, most wonderful name of all. The Queen’s Scepter!! I can’t even think of it without laughing out loud! Though it sounds like it ought to be the name of a sex shoppe where one can buy really quality dildoes.

I arranged our pub ‘leaping’ so that all our stops were within walking distance. We’ll take a cab to the first one, because it’s The Queen’s Scepter, (snicker!) which was farthest away, walk from pub to pub, and take a cab back from the last one, as we’ll probably be legless by then.

I checked I had all my ‘leaping’ gear. I needed to be comfortable and warm for a long day in and out of doors. I wore the red wool peacoat that Tom had given me for Christmas of course, a rather deep cut v-neck black jumper, and my good jeans, the ones that cup my arse just right. I bounced on the toes of my old comfy black trainers, eager to get to our adventures.

A beaming Tom met me on the stoop, pulling me indoors, wrapping his arms around me and bending me back to kiss me as if he hadn’t kissed me in months, instead of just this morning.

Naturally, I gave as good as I got, my tongue dancing with his, my hands in his hair and my leg winding around his thigh. Finally he let me up for air and grinned down at me.

“Now will you tell me what you have planned for today?”

I grinned slyly back. The only clue I’d given him was to wear comfortable shoes. He’d taken it a little far, if you ask me, he looked more like he was going hiking, but that wax jacket with a hoodie underneath did suit him, and he was in those lovely old, soft, black jeans so I wasn't about to ask him to change! I kind of liked the tan Caterpillar boots, they gave his posh image a working man’s edge, which oddly suited him. I realised I’d been staring at him for longer than was perhaps appropriate.

“Um, right.” I surreptitiously checked for drool in the guise of fixing my lipstick. That might have been more suave if it hadn’t been lip balm.

“This was a tricky one! I mean, short of setting Parliament on fire, where the hell am I going to get Ten Lords a Leaping?! And anyway the lazy sods aren’t even in session!” I waved my arms about in exasperation.

Tom looked faintly alarmed. “Well, not to mention that it is Christmas, and you’re not Guy Fawkes, after all!”

“And aren’t you glad I’m not!” I wriggled my bum and batted my eyelashes at him, just to remind him how lucky he is. “So, while I wouldn’t mind doing something that would shift that lot off their arses, I can hardly wait to see what you’ve laid on for Eleven Pipers Piping, and I don’t want to be languishing at Her Majesty’s pleasure for it! Plus, your Nine Ladies Dancing was so brilliant! I needed to raise the barre, so to speak… And anyway, they say that ten out of Ten Lords proof-er drinking in the daytime!”

Tom glanced out the window at the chilly, grey day. “So we’re going to a pub...?” He frowned. “What does that have to do with Lords a Leaping?”

I crossed my arms and shook my head in mock disapproval at his slowness.

“Well, I figured that if the lazy bastards won’t leap to it, it’ll have to be our job! And there are loads of pubs named after Lords and other Royalty, so we’re going on a Ten Lords Pub Leaping!”

Tom choked “Good Lord! That’s…so bad, it’s actually good!”

“Why thank you,” I curtsied. “So you approve, then?”

“Certainly! It sounds marvelous fun!”

“Well, I’m glad I won’t have to gin up any excitement, because I’ve been tankering with the list of pubs and maps all morning!”

“And will we have to order particular drinks at each of these noble establishments?”

“Nah. Let’s just play it by beer.”

“ Well, you’ve done an excellent job, as far as I can see.”

“It’s ale in a days work!”

Pulling up to the Queen’s Sceptre, Tom stepped from the cab onto the kerb and gallantly offered me a hand out. I stifled a snicker. If my Posh Idiot wants to treat me like a grand lady, am I going to object?

Besides, his hand was warm when I slid my cold fingers into his palm, and when he tugged me onto my feet he met me with a kiss. I shivered in the cool damp air and he bundled me into the pub.

The Queen’s Sceptre was a traditional olde worlde pub with dark beams overhead and a quiet fire in the fireplace, immediately warming us.

Tom helped me off with my coat. “Thank you again for my pretty wool coat, Tom.” I stroked the sleeve. Tom smiled, pleased. “It’s totally baa-aa-d-ass!”

Now he groaned and rolled his eyes. “You know, when I was shopping for your gift, I had a conversation with myself…” he trailed off expectantly. Ok, I’ll play.

“Oh yes? Do tell!” I raised an enquiring eyebrow.

“It’s a coat, I said to myself. What could possibly go wrong with a coat, I asked myself. I totally forgot to check for puns!”

I stood on my toes and kissed the end of his nose. “Now you know! It’s good to learn something new each day, right? You should write it up as a life-hack!”

“What, and give some runny nosed kid online the opportunity to say ‘Ok, boomer’ to me? I think snot.” Tom raised an offended eyebrow and I snickered. I’d like to see some kid try to get away with calling Tom old!

After we ordered our drinks at the bar, I plopped down on the bench and looked around the scarred old place. There were cracks in the plaster, probably left over from the London bombings during the war. The rough wood floor had probably never been polished, the tabletops were gouged and scratched, and the mullioned windows were filled with wavy, bubbled old glass. There were only a couple of other drinkers there. But the place was perfect. It carried the rich, warm, smell of good ale, and the scent of the logs burning on the fire.

“Your sheep impersonation needs some work, by the way,” he told me. “That ‘baa’ sound needs to come from the throat,” he rubbed his hand suggestively along his throat, tracing a finger around his adam’s apple. “You need to practice until you can literally feel the vibration and-”

I stared at him, my mouth falling open. Was he seriously trying to give me an acting lesson here to improve my sheep bleating?? I’m supposed to be the weird one in this relationship, not him!

“Then with a little-” he stopped and burst out laughing. “I’m sorry... your face!” he said between guffaws.

I could feel my blush rising but hopefully he’d think it was still from the cold outside. He’d got me, but there was no way I was going to admit that!

Fortunately the barman interrupted for our drinks order. I went for a lager, and Tom asked for a glass of wine, whee aren’t we adventurous?

Soon we were sitting at a table in the window of the nearly empty pub, looking out at the grey day.

“I have to say, I’m impressed by your choice of a pub crawl,” Tom grinned at me over his wine, his eyes twinkling merrily. “This ought to be interesting, since you can’t hold your liquor.”

“Can too!” I drew myself up indignantly.

“Darling,” he drawled, “you were three sheets to the wind the first time you met my mother! Your first words to her were, if I remember correctly, to stumble over calling her ‘Mum’, ‘Hiddleston’ and ‘Mrs. Posh Idiot’! You were squiffy!

“How long are you going to bludgeon me with that one for?” I teased. “But, that’s fair,” I nodded judiciously. “Of course I’d had nearly half a bottle of scotch on my own, and it was all your fault!”

“My fault?! How was you turning up trolleyed my fault?”

“She was your mother!”

Tom blinked, confused. “Well yes, she was. I mean, she still is.” He shook his head. “What’s your point?”

I rolled my eyes. “Obviously, I’d never have got drunk in front of your mother if you hadn’t insisted on introducing me! It stands to riesling.”

“You’re treading a vine line, there.” He snorted and looked skeptical, but he had to concede my logic. Reluctantly.

“Now let’s have a look at this list of Lordly pubs of yours.”

I pulled the list and map from my bag and set them in front of Tom with a flourish:

The Queens Sceptre

Sir Vesa’s

The Lord Lucan

The Royal Flush

The Barons Bollocks

The Duchess and Tipple

Down for the Count

The Bloody Queen Mary

The Earls Whiskers

The Laird of Scotch

The Princes Licker

The Rummy Lord

The Fresh Prince

The Dukes Drunk Ducks

The Kings Cocktail

Tom ran a finger down the list and laughed. “You’ve got fifteen pubs listed here, love, not ten!

“Hey, it’s not my fault that London publicans have an over fondness for kissing Royal arse!” I rolled my eyes. “Anyway, some of them are too far away for our walking programme. I only included the ten in walking distance of each other. Check the map. See?”

Tom flipped the list over and looked at our proposed ‘leaping’ route.

Tom laughed, pointing at The Prince’s Licker.

“Is that really what it’s called? The Prince’s Licker??”

I grinned. “Well no, it’s spelled Liquor. But I like my spelling better, as in ‘Candy is dandy, but lick-her is quicker to her heart’!”

Tom pulled me closer and nuzzled behind my ear. “It certainly is with you.”

I nuzzled back. “And you have a very good licker…” I trailed off suggestively.

Tom promptly licked a broad, very wet stripe up my cheek as I squealed and ducked away. “Guess I deserved that,” I said ruefully, scrubbing at my face with the sleeve of my jumper. Tom innocently drank from his glass, returning his attention to the list.

“The Lord Lucan.” he mused. “Isn't he the one who murdered his nanny, tried to murder his wife, and then disappeared, never to be seen again?”

“Yes,” I said with a grin. The macabre nature of the pub’s namesake had played a little into my choice. “You order your drinks at the bar, then they hide them and you have to find them before you can drink.”

“Are you serious?”

“No,” I laughed. “But it is said that only 50% of customers are ever seen again.”

He wasn't falling for it this time, no matter how deadpan my delivery.

“And the staff all carry pokers to bludgeon rude customers?” he suggested.

“Not far off,” I grinned and explained. “They stage murder mystery nights once a month, so if we like it here, we could try one sometime.”

“That sounds perfectly gruesome. We should go some evening.”

“I’ll check their schedule.” I promised. “You can’t get near it at Halloween, but it should be ok at any other time of the year.”

Tom looked back at our list. He grimaced at the next one.

“The Royal Flush? What is that?”

“I know, right? I couldn’t tell if it was supposed to be a pub, a gambling hell, or a shop that sells gold toilets!“

“I don’t know, darling. I don’t have high hops for a pub that has the word Flush right in its name.”

“Yeah, I think urine trouble if they can’t come up with a better name for a pub! It’s out of our walking zone, so we’re spared that one, anyway. What about the next one?”

“The Barons Bollocks?” Tom narrowed his eyes at me. “Did you spell that one wrong as well?”

I laughed. “Maybe? It used to be called the Barons Bullock, but some wag went and painted over the original letters on the sign. Every time the landlord fixed it, someone would come round and change it back. Eventually the landlord just gave up and left it that way. I hear their drinks are strong enough to put hair on your chest, and further south!”

“But darling, I like your chest just the way it is!” Tom traced a finger along the neckline of my jumper.

I glanced down. Oops. There was a bit too much of the girls on display for the public. I gave my jumper a tug and Tom sat back looking disappointed.

“Too bad.” I consoled him in mock sorrow. “But I wouldn’t want to get a chest cold.”

“Or a cold chest, I suppose.” Tom brightened and nuzzled my ear. “But I’d be happy to warm them up for you.”

“I’ll let you know,” I said dryly. I shook the pub list at him to get his attention off my boobs.

“The Duchess and Tipple is supposed to have quite a good wine cellar. And they have 2 for 1 House wine at happy hour!”

“Well, that’s an offer we decant refuse!

We finished our drinks at the Queen’s Sceptre and pulled on our coats. I grabbed Tom’s hand, tugging him out the door.

“Come on, Sir Vesa’s is only hops, skip and a jump from here!” I did my best to hop, skip and jump, but it’s not as easy as it sounds.

“Come on!” I urged Tom, who was laughing as he watched me. “Live a little!”

“How far is this pub?” he asked.

“According to the map, we’re only a quarter of a mile away.” I gave him my best side eye. “Yeah, you’re probably too old to skip for that long.”

His eyes narrowed. I was going to pay for that quip later. I couldn't wait!

“Fine.”

And so we ended up going this weird sort of flailing hop scotch dance down the pavement. Do you know how hard it is to hop, skip, and jump while laughing and dodging other, more sedate walkers? For a miracle nobody grumbled at our cavorting like ninnies, some even laughed and joined us for a hop or two! It must be the season.

Laughing and breathless from leaping about playing silly buggers down the pavement, I saw my chance. A narrow space between buildings was dark, a street light shining faintly through at the end of the gap, showing that the space was deserted. It was just the thing!

I tugged his hand and pulled him into the dark, turning and slinging my arm around his neck, reaching up on my toes to lick my way into his mouth.

Fingers ran over my cheek and down my neck, moving around my nape to dig into my hair and return the favour.

Tom braced himself with a hand on the bricks beside my head, brushing his lips teasingly across mine, but I wasn’t having it. I wanted his body against mine, and wrapped my hands in his jacket, pulling to grind against him. Tom chuckled into my mouth.

“Impatient little thing, aren’t you?”

“Oh, you have no idea…”

The warm wool of my coat cushioned me against the frigid brick wall at my back, but I could still feel the chill seeping through. It was bloody cold out there! Tom, however, was warming my front nicely, his body pressing into mine as he took over the kiss, heating me up from the inside. I wanted to put my hands in his hair, but my damned gloves…

Tom lifted his head, searching my face for something. I was about to pull him down for another kiss just to see if he really could make me burst into flames, when he startled and his head whipped toward the entrance of our dark little niche.

I’d been so lost in his kisses that I hadn’t even noticed the chattering and noise of passersby until that moment. A loud burst of laughter echoed around us as a group of men walked past, joking and pushing each other as they passed only a couple of meters from us.

Tom took a step back with a shake of his head and a regretful sigh. Yeah, that place was too public, and I didn’t fancy getting caught doing Tom Hiddleston in a dark alley! I’m not into exhibitionism anyway, and the reminder that we were nearly in public cooled me right off.

I shrugged and grinned ruefully at Tom, standing on my toes for a quick brushing kiss over his lips.

“Baby, it’s cold outside…” I sang. Tom chuckled.

“Then let us repair to somewhere warmer. Perhaps to yon public house?” Tom made a grand sweeping gesture and offered me his arm with a bow.

“Delighted, good Sir!” I laughingly tucked my hand in his elbow and he drew me back onto the busy pavement, nonchalantly merging us into the bustling foot traffic without a ripple. We were only a couple of doors from our destination.

Sir Vesa’s turned out to be surprisingly posh, with menus at the tables and waitstaff to take your order. My tummy rumbled. I immediately determined that I hadn’t had enough chips in my life.

“Oh look! I pointed at the drinks menu. They have Budweiser on tap! I’ve never had any, have you?

Tom made an adorable moue of disgust. “I have. Listen to me well when I tell you, Bud you’d be wieser to choose something else.”

“Yeah? Like what?”

“Like watered down goat piss!” Tom muttered quietly.

I choked. Eugh! I flipped the menu over, glancing down the list. “Oh, do they have that here?” i feigned innocence.

Tom looked at the menu over my shoulder, pretending to be serious. “Doesn’t look like it. Nope, no goat’s piss. Only the Budweiser.”

“You mean they don’t have real goat’s piss on offer, they only have the artificial stuff in a Budweiser can?? Well, all I can say is that’s a bitter pils to swallow!” I made my most outraged face and looked ‘round for the barman.

Tom slid an arm over my shoulders, holding me firmly in my seat, obviously not trusting me not to leap up and give the barman a piece of my mind on his lack of authentic goat’s piss. Wise man, our Tom.

“Now darling, you mustn’t harass the barman over his stock. You wouldn’t want to booze his ego, would you?”

“Who said anything about egos?” I eyed the man behind the bar. “He looks a stout young man, but I bet I could take ‘im…”

“Darling, I forbid you to take the poor man anywhere!! I’ll nip this in the bud!” And then Tom used his patented distraction technique, snogging me until I forgot what I was saying.

“Mmmm.” I blinked my eyes open and tried to stop my knees wobbling. Well, that was… refreshing. “Um. What was I saying?”

“We were perusing the menu,” Tom said with a sly smile, and I turned my attention back to the menu in my hand. Luckily while page one was the tried and not-so-true international brands, page two made this beer bar worth the visit. Of course the cervesa pun didn’t hurt, either! I don’t think you could have kept us out once we heard that name.

The various beers were described like a posh wine menu that had been turned into beer porn.

For example, Vienna Pale was described as “Based on the classic Vienna Lager style (though technically an ale), and annoyer of a certain type of beer geek, Vienna Pale is a sweet, malty drinking pint, with plenty of Saaz, Citra and Cascade dry-hopping to keep things interesting”.

I giggled over the menu. It might have been a little pretentious, if someone hadn’t come along and dirtied up the prose, but what the hell.

In the end, I chose a Pilot Bucks Peach, of which the menu said ‘Pilot is a Leith microbrewery that specialises in kick-arse brews. Lovingly handcrafted by braw men in kilts, it’ll lay you out with a smile on your face!’

Apparently it came in flavours! I didn’t fancy the mochachino flavoured one, which seemed more like a breakfast beer, if there is such a thing, but the Buck’s Peach sounded good.

Tom opted for one called, with devastating originality, An IPA.

I knew that meant an India Pale Ale. It was described as “An interpretation of the challenge ‘Create a New Scotland IPA’. A mix of malted oats and barley, then dry hopped both during active fermentation, then once fermentation is complete. A juicy, orgasmic starburst of a beer.”

“Tom, you know that it’s just beer, right? I mean it’s a bit much to expect the earth to move from a beer..” I cautioned him, shaking my head at the over-the-top description.

Tom’s lips twitched.. “But I have such high hops for it!”

I rolled my eyes. “Well, I hope it moves you to cheers!” I patted his hand. “If the earth doesn’t move, I’ll move it for you when we get home, dear.”

The beer turned out to be pretty good, but nowhere good enough to move anyone’s earth. Eh, the chips were much better, golden crisp on the outside, lovely, hot, and mealy in the center. With lashings of salt and malt vinegar they were the orgasmic item on the menu!

Tom took the last chip on my plate as I was swallowing the last of my Bucks Peach, which was a good lager, but not peachy at all. My other hand came down on his wrist, pinning it to the table. I carefully set my glass down and narrowed my eyes at him.

The fucker gave me those big puppy dog eyes and I lost all desire to fight him for it. I let go his wrist and gently took the chip from him, brushing his lips tantalizingly with it.

Tom delicately took it between his teeth and nibbled it down to my fingertips, licking the last of the salt away.

I sighed. “The sacrifries I make for you…” and shook my head. Tom chuckled.

“Darling, I always pay my debts.” His hand slid around to the nape of my neck and he leaned in to take my lips in a searing kiss that I felt all the way down to my toes.

“That’s only the down payment, you’ll get the balance when we get home,” he murmured against my lips. I tried not to whimper too loudly when he sat up.

“Right. Get off your heineken, it’s time to go. What’s next?” Suddenly Tom is all business. I blinked, and after a moment to gather myself, got the list from my bag.

“It says here The Lairds Scotch. And it’s only three doors down.”

A quick dash into the cold and we were there.

Tom took my coat, and when he came back I nodded at the bar, turning innocent eyes up at him.

“If you ask the barman to help you find the good scotch does that make him your spirit-guide?”

“Dear god, I hope so,” he groaned. “I’m going to need all the spiritual help I can get after that clanker!”

“Oh look,” I pointed to an upright piano next to the opposite wall to change the subject. I could just imagine people having a sing-song around it in the old days. “You should give us a tune,” I cajoled as we stepped up to the bar.

Tom ordered a Laphroig, but I couldn’t face any more scotch after my last go round. I asked for a G&T.

“It doesn't look like it’s been tuned since the war,” Tom deflected.

“They play it every Sat’de,” an elderly gentleman at the next table interrupted. “Owner’s son is studying music and he or one o’ ‘is friends play for us every weekend.” He nodded judiciously. “They’re not bad.”

Tom did not look thrilled by this news, but I’d seen his eyes linger longingly on the old piano.

“There you go,” I smiled smugly as I sipped my G and T.

“If I’m playing, you’re singing,” he challenged.

Ooh! Things just got interesting. Well, whatever my reluctance to be caught singing in public, if he wanted this, then I would give it to him. But I’d make him work for it!

“Is that right?”

“Of course, the only song I know is Little Drummer Boy,” he said as if that settled it. Bloody hell, I hate that song!

“No,” I shook my head. “There will be no pa-rum-pa-pums! Besides,” I sassed, “Drummers are the twelfth day of Christmas! And I definitely remember your Mum saying something about how you’d regale them with Christmas carols every year until you left for Uni!”

“My darling,” He affected a world weary air. “Do you have any idea how long ago university was for me?”

“Sure, grandpa,” I teased. “But you don’t play something for that many years and just forget it.”

I polished off my G&T, and went to order another from the barman. I’d need more booze to get me up to the piano. Either I sing better when I’ve had a good belt, or I only think I do. But it’s all in the mind, right? Let’s hear is for Dutch Courage!

I brought another scotch for Tom as well, even though he doesn’t actually need any Dutch Courage to perform. He’s in his element. But fair is fair, right? If I need to get tipsy to sing in public, well, he’s just going to have to keep up!

“I’ll tell you one I do remember.” The twinkle in his eye had an evil slant.

“Hmm?” I was cautious. God knows what he’d come up with

“I’ll be Home for Christmas.”

I smiled smugly. He thought he’d stump me? Ha! I know that song. By heart, even. I love that old tune. Dad had a bunch of old LP’s, and an honest-to-god turntable, and he loved to play the old songs at Christmas time. His favourites, and mine as well, were Nat King Cole, and Bing Crosby.

But I decided to be difficult. Anyway, if he thinks I don’t know the tune, he’s in for a surprise! And there’s nothing I like better than surprising Tom.

“Sorry, I don’t know the lyrics.”

“And you say I’m the old one,” He laughed. “Google them on your phone, you numpty!” Tom rolled his eyes and shook his head despairingly.

Yeah, I was sort of hoping he wouldn’t think of that. What the hell, I’d made him work hard enough for it. I relented. Besides, he has to pay for that ‘numpty’ crack!

“Bring it.” I tossed my hair behind my back and straightened my jumper, giving it a little tug downward to distract him.

It’s a song written from the perspective of a soldier in World War II, to his girl back home.”

His eyes closed and I could see him relax, his shoulders went down and his head fell forward, drawing a deep breath in and letting it out slowly. His long fingers carefully picked out the tune as if reminding himself how it went.

His fingers danced over the keys as he launched into the slow, romantic song. It did have a world war two vibe to it. I swear he could have been one of those old fashioned crooners as he began to sing in his smooth baritone. I shouldn’t have been surprised, he’s an amazing mimic, and I saw I Saw the Light.

“I'll be home for Christmas...You can plan on me… Please have snow, and mistletoe...and presents by the tree…”

Tom lifted his chin at me, commanding me to sing with him. I smiled and purposely set my mobile down on the piano, joining in with my alto voice.

“Christmas Eve will find you...Where the love light gleams...I'll be home for Christmas...If only in my dreams…”

The old gent and his friends, as well as the barman joined in and sang the rest with us. They clapped when we’d finished, encouraging Tom to play more.

One of the old gents waved his pint glass at us. “Can you give us Oh Holy Night, lad?

Tom nodded. “If you don’t mind the odd stumble, I might just manage it, “ Tom said modestly. Then he launched into the old church music, the old men singing along with us. Dad had always dragged us to Christmas services, so I was able to keep up.

Where I didn’t remember the verse, I sipped at my G&T and enjoyed the men’s voices winding together. They weren’t half bad! Everybody clapped happily at the end, egging Tom on to play another.

Tom laughingly agreed, sliding me a sly challenging look. He was a picture, his face flushed with exhilaration and happiness. It’s a good look on him. And it melts my knickers!

“Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…” There went that challenging eyebrow. I wrinkled my nose at him and joined in.

“Jack Frost nipping at your toes...Yuletide carols being sung by a choir...And folks dressed up like Eskimos…”

The old gents were silent, not knowing the lyrics, I suppose. So we gave them a duet. Dad would have been proud.

When we’d finished and the last lingering note faded the gents applauded and called compliments, offering us another round, which we both declined. But we gave them Auld Lang Syne for an encore, and they all joined in. Tom laughingly refused requests for more.

“I’d better get back to my date, or there won’t be any kisses for me tonight!” he kidded. “And she’s ever so much better looking than you lot! Thanks for letting me play your piano!”

I tend to forget that Tom is such a born performer until moments like that. Watching him perform for an audience is like watching a rose bloom on fast forward; all that is hidden quietly away burst into full colour, and everyone nearby just basks in it.

When we went to finish our drinks back at our table, I slid into his lap, nuzzling his hair and wrapping my arms around him wordlessly. He is so precious to me, and I’m not making a Lord of the Rings joke.

At the Duchess and Tipple Tom made me drink a big glass of water after I called it the Duchess and Nipple, and couldn’t stop giggling. We agreed it was time for dinner.

“How about the Dukes Drunk Ducks? That’s not too far from here.”

“The what?”

“Dukes Drunk Ducks. It’s an old legend. It used to be called The Dukes Duck. One day the landlady came down to find all her ducks dead. Being a practical sort, she shrugged and put duck on the menu for that night. But as she was preparing them to cook, they woke up! Apparently they were only drunk and passed out after drinking from a leaking barrel of ale, not dead, and the name kind of stuck.”

“Yeah, okay, they sound like ducks I’d want to know.”

“I haven't been there for a few years but they used to do good food too.”

I checked my watch. “We do need something to soak up the alcohol,” I agreed. That and the mile long walk there should help sober us up enough to finish the crawl, I mean ‘Leap’, without being totally blotto. A good night out is no fun if you can’t remember it the next day!

“We’d best have a pee before we leave,” Tom cautioned.

“Good idea.” Yeah, a mile long walk with crossed legs didn't sound like much fun.

***

The Drunk Duck took its name and theme very seriously. Every wall was adorned with pictures of ducks, including duck portraits of ducks in Victorian clothing, some in military uniforms with high ranking titles.

Mr Firequacker, Sir Quacks a Lot, and Admiral Moby Duck were among my favorite names, although the fanged duck in a black cape titled Count Quackula topped my fav list.

“I’m surprised they don’t have duck a l'orange,” I said.

“You don’t kill your namesake,” Tom said with mock shock, clutching his chest.

“I don’t care how much I like this place, I am not giving up crispy duck pancakes with hoisin sauce. Not even if I can never look another duck in the eye again.”

Tom Laughed as the waiter set our plates in front of us, wished us bon appetit, and bustled off. I smiled at Tom over my Shepherds Pie and he smiled fondly back, and we both took a bite.

“It’s pretty good stuff, this.” I scooped a bit more onto the back of my fork.

“Not as good as yours, though.”

“Well, cheers!” I lifted my glass of wine and tilted my glass to him.

“Mm. Pudding was even better, as I recall.” Tom purred, sending shivers down my spine. My brow furrowed. I didn’t remember any pudding.

“What pudding ? We drank beer and watched Lawrence Llewellyn-Bowen destroy some poor sod’s house!”

Tom wiped his mouth with his serviette and grinned wickedly.

“Oh yes! I distinctly remember I had a couple of lovely frozen bombes with cherries on top.” Tom’s eyes fell to the v-neck of my jumper, and I felt my face warm.

“Uh huh. Icy what you did there.”

We each nursed only one glass of wine during the meal, but we ordered water too and stayed for desert. I was feeling almost sober as we left, but I could do with the walk to the next bar to help the food digest.

“Where to?” Tom asked as we stepped out the door.

“Oh, um…” I felt my pockets but couldn’t find the list. “The Bloody Bits of Barons or something?”

“Do you mean The Barron’s Bollocks?”

“That’s the one. But I think my name is better.”

“Definitely more memorable, darling,” Tom piped up. “And rather bloodthirsty. If I ever become a publican I shall definitely call my establishment The Baron’s Bollocks.” He discretely hid a belch behind his hand.

God, I adored that cut glass accent of his. He could say absolutely ridiculous things like that and still sound like a sexy toff. It wasn't fair! I was about 50% sure I was drooling by now, and I’m absolutely certain that my mascara has migrated south since I put it on before we left. Tom meanwhile just had that sexy, tousled look about him. All he needs is some lipstick. Which I was happy to provide! I grabbed his chin and snogged him hard. Leaning back, I surveyed him. Damn, that shade looks as good on him as it does on me.

I eventually found my list in a pocket I was sure I’d checked three times already.

I slipped my arm through Tom’s and leaned my head on his shoulder, sighing contentedly as we strolled along.

“You seem happy.” Tom noted.

“Mmm,” I wrapped my other arm around his too.

“If I’d known feeding you was all it took to tame the beast, I’d have tried it months ago,” he laughed.

The idea of having been tamed made me giggle. Okay, maybe I wasn't quite as sober as I felt, but I was feeling very happy right now, even if I was freezing my metaphorical bollocks off.

“Feeding’s not the only thing that tames me,” I purred, but the effect was rather ruined when I slipped on a patch of ice. Luckily Tom was there to catch me up. I might have hammed it up a bit.

“We still have three more pubs to get to!” Tom groaned, scrubbing at his face to wake himself up

“No, two more!” I corrected.

“Three!”

“Look, mister, this is my day and if you keep arguing, it’ll be four.” I crossed my arms and glared at him. We’d been arguing about whether it was Ten or Eleven Lords a Leaping all evening. Tom liked the alliteration, the drunk posh idiot. Alliteration! I ask you!

“But, that’s brewtal! I’m sure-”

“Five.”

“Alright! Okay, you win! Please don't make me go to five more pubs! We’ll be drunk as Lords until Easter!”

“Now see how much easier it is when you agree with me?” I smiled my victory and batted my eyelashes.

“Well the alliteration is still better with Eleven Lords a Leaping,” he grumbled, “but if you make us go to 13 pubs neither of us will be having much fun after! So, what’s it going to be?

“Fine, we can skip the Duke of Marlborough. Never liked his ciggies anyway.” I drew a rather drunken line through the name, and Tom took it from me, stuffing it in his pocket.

Tom grinned, pleased to have won. “Don’t worry, I’ll make it up to you later.”

“Oh yes you will!! What’s next?” I patted my pockets again. Wait. Now Tom had my list as well! But he had an excellent memory. Well, he did when he wasn't drunk. I reached for his pocket to retrieve the list of pubs, but he wasn’t having it. After tussling with him for a minute I gave up and tried for a stern expression.

“Hang on, this is my game! I make the rules.” I tilted my head, thinking hard. “It is my game, right?”

Tom snickered into his pint of cider. “You, my darling, are drunk.”

“You wouldn't exactly pass a breathalyser either, buddy! Better still, I’d like to see you do those American tests, where you walk heel to toe and touch your finger to your nose!” I swayed as I made my point. What was it again?

“I’d rather touch your nose,” Tom smouldered as he leaned in close, his nose inches from mine.

I shook my head as if shaking off a stupor. “Hey, no fair using The Smoulder to distract me!” I paused, trying to puzzle out where I was going with this. “Um, what were you distracting me from, anyway?”

“Hell if I know.”

“My good sir, you are snockered!”

“Am not!”

“Are too!”

“Not!”

“Too!”

“That’s the way to do it,” the barman said with a chuckle as he wiped down the neighbouring table.

“Sorry?” Tom asked.

“Am not, are too?” he imitated them. “I thought you were doing pantomime. ‘Tis the season, right?”

“‘That’s the way to do it’ is Punch and Judy,” I corrected him.

“Oh no it isn’t,” the barman teased.

“Oh yes it is!”

“This could go on for a while and I need to pee.” Tom drained the rest of his cider before he stood up and headed for the toilets. “Behave yourself!” he shot over his shoulder as he ambled away.

“Right, onward to the next bacchanalia! The Bloody Queen Mary was it?”

I pulled the list from my pocket and unfolded it. “Yes.”

We staggered out into the cold night air. I breathed deeply, letting it sober me up a little.

Not that I was roaring drunk. Not quite. Not yet. This next one was our second to last pub of the night though, and we were only having one each. Two more couldn't hurt too much, right?

Down for the Count was our final pub of the night and I held up my glass of sherry and giggled. I was definitely getting tiddly. And naughty. “Here’s to every Tom’s Dick and Sherry!”

“That, my dear, was a toastament to bad puns! And who’s this Sherry bird, anyway?” Tom squinted at me. “You aren’t setting up a threesome are you?”

“No fear,” I snickered, “I don’t think Tom’s dick would be up to the job after all this!” I waved my glass around, spilling it over the rim.

Tom grinned. “Apparently Sherry is sloshed as well!”

I snickered and made a small noise of annoyance at the sherry trailing down my wrist, glancing around for something to wipe it off, but there were only glasses and coasters on the small table.

Tom tisked, taking my glass from me and lifting my hand to his mouth. “May I?” The fucking smoulder was back.

“Be my guest.” My voice had gone all breathy, and I swallowed hard as his tongue came out and delicately licked the trickle of sherry from my wrist to my fingers.

Hot blue eyes stared into mine as he sucked a finger into his mouth, swirling his tongue around each one to clean the sticky sherry from my fingers.

I breathed out hard, squirming in my seat to ease the need building below as he left a kiss in my palm.

“Mmm. Sherry tastes sweet, but you taste sweeter…”

“I’ll call us a cab,”

It started to snow on our way home in the cab, just light flurries at first, and then big, fat flakes drifting down out of the sky just as we were climbing out of the cab in front of Tom’s.

The cab left, and Tom wrapped his arms around me, turning my back to his front, and setting his cheek next to mine. We stood on his top step, tranquilly watching the snow fall , peacefully muffling the city noises all around us, listening to each other’s breathing as it fogged in the cold air.

Tom was warm at my back and I leaned against him, wrapping my own arms over his, and just simply enjoying the quiet moments.

Eventually I realised that I needed to pee. With that came the awareness that my feet were freezing in their trainers, and a headache was beginning to bloom behind my eyes.

I turned my head back and up, kissing Tom’s cool lips for a long luxurious moment.

I whispered in his ear, “I really need to pee.”

He didn’t laugh, he simply nodded and fished his keys out of his pocket and let us in. Tom took my coat as I kicked my trainers off and padded through the dark house to the loo.

I gasped when I flipped the switch, light stabbing through my eyes and waking my incipient headache. I quickly flipped the light off, deciding that there were some things that I was perfectly capable of doing in the dark.

I did what I needed to do and had a quick wash before I opened the door and found Tom leaning on the wall opposite, with two bottles of water and a bottle of paracetamol crooked in his elbow against his chest.

He took my hand and quietly drew me up the stairs, undressed me, and sat me on the bed. Setting down his burden, he twisted the cap off a bottle of cold water and handed it to me, quickly doing the same for himself.

“One more drink, darling. What shall we drink to?”

“Don’t know, don’t care!”

“That’s good enough!”

He tapped his water bottle against mine and we both drank thirstily. I moaned at the cool liquid sliding down my throat, it felt so good.

“Nothing like copious amounts of alcohol to dry you out.” Tom set his half empty bottle down and opened the paracetamol, tapping two out on his palm and offering them to me.

I’m nobody’s fool, I took the damn pills even though I detest swallowing them. If I didn’t I knew I’d be sorry in the morning.

I fell back on the bed with a groan. Tom settled me under the blankets, chuckling and ignoring my uncoordinated attempt to do it. I gave up and let him man handle me because I really was tired.

Stripping off as he made his way a little carefully into the ensuite, I listened drowsily to the homey sound of Tom humming to himself as he did whatever. I think it might have been a bit of the Nutcracker. My eyes were drifting shut on the slightly swaying bed, feeling warm and sleepy.

Tom lifted the blankets and slid in next to me, wrapping around me and dropping a kiss below my ear.

I woke some time before dawn with Tom’s warm body spooned around me from behind, and my bloody phone ringing far too loudly.

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imagi77 · 4 years

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If Fawkes Healed Snape #2

Part I ~ https://imaginativelight77.tumblr.com/post/190739504527/if-fawkes-healed-snape

It was as soon as their dearest friend had to leave to put an end to this Hell and soon it was them being beside a very weak former Death Eater, whose thrashed throat had just been bound by the healing properties of one loyal creature. Hermoine may have been willing to be near to help, but Ronald Weasley was not so agreeable to the task, or rather, Harry Potter’s (the Boy Who Lived) final wish. Snape was still with them, finally able to breathe better since Dumbledore’s loyal Phoenix had made his just return to them. Hermoine had an idea that Snape was not going to be the first healed by those precious tears.

“Professor!” Hermoine tried to keep her voice straight in addressing him. “Can you hear me?”

“If you are so insistent on deafening me even more, Miss Granger … than I implore you speak louder, if you so please.” Snape spoke, sounding more exhausted than angry, yet that usual sarcasm was a gift to hear, in all honesty. Hoarse and strained, his voice was still audible to a degree.

“Well, that’s unfortunate.” Ron shot back, an insult Snape chose to ignore fully. Yet again, Weasley kept his wand aimed, just in case.

“Put that bloody wand down, Ron…” Hermoine told him as she took her hand purse back in hand, in search of a specific potion. Snape honestly observed and regarded the two in thick silence, feeling his pain gradually subside. Fawkes stayed near him, warbling in worry.

“Sir, with your permission… allow me to examine you?”

Snape remained as still as stone before giving a moan. “… if you bloody well must.” he lamely replied, too weak to fight. He had fought for so long… Just resting his eyes now and feeling his own heart beat was something of a miracle. No longer keeping his mind barred… For once, he was still breathing and this time it felt so good. His mind, heart and body felt incredibly shredded. He wished to die, truly… but his mission had been done. Nothing really mattered anymore and he found that he didn’t care.

It was over. Finished.

He stayed still as his pupil undid his soiled frock’s buttons and untied his scarf, pulling back the bloodied fabric aside. There was still much to be done, sighting a rivering line all across his bare throat, once ripped by Nagini’s fang. Each tear had been closed up by Fawkes who watched on, worried.

“This is mad, Hermoine…” Ron prodded. “After what he had done to us…? Dumbledore died, at his hand…”

“I know.” she sighed, in return as she took out another vial. “He will need a blood replenisher, this will have to do until we arrive to safer quarters… Dittany, sir… Very little of it, but it will help a little.”

Those black marble eyes locked onto hers, accompanied with such an unreadable glare, but he drank with her assistance. To her and Ron, Snape looked as if he did not know what to think about their presence…  

“Think of me, however you wish, Weasley…” Snape hoarsely spoke as he weakly tried to move, but he still felt pain.

“If only Harry hadn’t told us to babysit you, I would make you taste your own medicine, greasy git!”

Snape actually had the strength to shake his head at the audacity this boy had and didn’t even bother to speak. He was far too tired to try. After this and that now that he was alive, he would be hunted down now by Ministry and Death Eater alike…

“My heart bleeds…” Snape coldly hissed at Ron before another thick silence fell over them all.

The sounds and rumbles of the magical war above shook the foundation of the boathouse. The only one truly helping was Hermoine and soon enough, Snape was able to rise a little from the painful position against the pane he was in before. Still weak by a certain amount of blood loss, the slight bit of dittony was enough for him to move to a degree but he was still too weak.

“Careful, sir…” she worried. “You’ve lost a lot of blood…”

Snape groaned, able to rest once more in a more comfortable position with his head now rested in his student’s lap.

“We can’t just stay here,” Ron brought up.

“He is too weak to apparate.” Hermoine argued. “We have no choice but to wait this out… If anyone finds us, we have no choice but to defend ourselves.”

“That’s all bloody hell good, ‘moine, but what about him? Can’t see him fightin’ any time soon.”

“… thank you, Mr. Weasley for that lovely assumption.” Snape growled, in a stronger voice.

They thought he was unconscious but no. Those dark eyes had opened upon a sudden even with Hermoine managing to clean some of the blood from off his throat, gently. Yet, Snape silently thanked her when he laid his head back down again. Soon enough, he looked forward to take out something from his sleeve, being his concealed wand, in case of any visitors. His breathing hardened more when he tried to move.

“Please, sir… You’re going to be all right…”

“Will it all be all right, Miss Granger? Oh surely, it would… When all a manner of heroic witches and wizards all gather to celebrate. That all will be well with the world. I care not for myself, Granger. I do not intend to return to this place any time soon… Potter will see what my memories will show, and then… he will face the Dark Lord. As far as I know… I suppose we are in the safest place. Why did you come here, you idiots?” he hissed, as if stricken with more pain. “After all that was done to spare the boy, he must die anyway… Bloody Albus…”

“The man you killed in cold blood,” Ron hissed.

“A man I killed simply because he as well had made a moronic decision. His fate was sealed the moment he placed that bloody ring on…”

“R-Riddle’s… ring?” Hermoine’s eyes widened.

“I was able to keep it at bay for a little time, but it would never be enough… He only had about a year’s time to live. So in that event, he asked me to do the dreaded task in Draco’s stead.”

“Bloody hell, that can’t be!” Ron was about to speak more until someone came close outside, silencing the three in an instant.

#Severus Snape #Harry Potter #Pro Snape #Drabbles

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morsmordrexrp · 4 years

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Regulus’s Journey 3/?

5th of November 1978

Oh Journal, as I write It’s currently the early hours of the fifth of November. Muggles have somewhat of a party on this night, I believe they call it Guy Fawkes night in certain parts. I seem to recall reading a book about the man, I didn’t understand alot of it, Muggle history is terribly confusing at times. As I recall, Guy Fawkes was part of a plot to blow up the houses of parliament in London during the 16th century, which as far as I understand it, are similar to the Ministry for Magic, but for muggles. Whether or not he was a good man seems to be open for debate, though for some reason Muggles set of fireworks in memory of what could have been - Which, frankly I find odd. Anyway, I do understand the concept of not knowing whether or not you are good. Perhaps it depends if your enemy is good or bad. Guy Fawkes wanted to kill King James and many other leaders of that time, so with that in mind one could argue he was fighting for the smaller men. He was of course unsuccessful and tried for high treason, and hanged....

I wonder if my actions will viewed as an act of ‘treason’

Apologies, it has been some time since I last slept and I find writing my thoughts soothes me. It’s either that or talk to myself, which I have started to do as well. Being so far from other people does not help.

I’am very close to finding the Horcrux now, I even believe that I know the exact whereabouts. I will have a hand in making sure the Dark Lord is mortal once again.

Know this Tom, Regulus Black defied you, and he was not afraid to do so.

R.A.B

#morsmordre: accepted #hp rp #harry potter rp #marauders era rp #appless rp

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calleo-bricriu · 4 years

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"Why are you like this?"

(( I’d apologise for him, @absintheabsence but we both know that’d be an entire lie. A continuation of 1986. ))

Grindelwald had asked him that question more than once in the past few weeks, and it hadn't escaped Calleo that he'd asked the same thing a good forty-ish years ago as it was difficult not to. Half the time, the things Grindelwald had said or done, even with explanation, were things Calleo hadn't been able to ever fully wrap his head around.

Then again, wrapping one's head around someone else's madness is often difficult.

This time, he decided to answer what held a good chance of being a rhetorical question.

"Do you have any idea," Calleo briefly glanced up from a stack of papers he'd been going through, if only to gauge the general mood of the room, "when the last time I had any time at all away from work was?"

"1945. Early May," back to the papers, "and even now, I'm still working. It's impossible to get away from it entirely; I'm not sure what I'd do if I could at this point. Director Yandle retired, you know." The topmost piece of paper was signed and disappeared.

"Not dead retired, retired retired. 1976, about the time Voldemort was finally starting to be taken seriously as some sort of threat. Said he didn't want to deal with that sort of thing again and I ended up with his job." The way he was talking sounded more like a narration than a conversation in which another person was involved, likely on account of Calleo's main focus being clearly on the stack of papers he was still looking at. "Out of the three he hired to replace the three of yours he sacked, two of them fucked right off when told it would be their only opportunity to do so if they were leaning that way. Pity, really; if they'd stuck around a bit longer they might have realised--"

Dry laughter stopped him momentarily, even if it was more than a little inappropriate. "I told them if I found out they were, they'd find out how much worse I could be, which they took to mean they were free to leave unharmed; I forwarded their information up to Crouch who, I might add, ended up being demoted to a useless paper pushing job after that war for how over the top vicious he was in his belated response to Voldemort. A lot of executions and life terms in Azkaban without trials or with trials but without any evidence."

"So, that takes up a lot of time, all the overhead of running even a small department and doing the job I was doing prior because I'm not inclined to get the three I have now killed by handing it off entirely." Three more papers disappeared. "After that was over--it wasn't."

"I don't know how much you've heard over the past few decades, but there were a handful of things about Voldemort's death that didn't seem to alarm anyone, really; well," for the moment, Calleo did stop working on whatever he was working on and looked up, "not anyone who should have been alarmed--no, no, that's not accurate either. Nobody in a position that should have been alarmed was alarmed."

"I was alarmed; they never found a body, and that kid had the cast pattern of a killing curse burned onto his face. That's not supposed to happen. There are very, very few ways that could happen, even if it had backfired, it should have burned HIM, not his target. Anyway, it was less of a backfire and more of a 'Despite the high probability that I've done some extremely detailed and high level blood magic to make sure it's incredibly difficult to actually kill me, I never learned the basics and didn't even consider the possibility of protective blood magic stopping me from killing a child in front of his mother' sort of thing most likely."

He smiled brightly, "But, really, who would listen to the Librarian of Obscure and Terrible Things? Why would you even bother to ask someone like that if they might have some sort of idea there when it's so much easier to go with 'well, he's clearly dead because there were four people in the house and only three bodies, living or otherwise, nothing strange here.'" Whether he was being sarcastic or not wasn't immediately clear.

"Albus Dumbledore (( @everyheartbesure is 100% not allowed to lecture Calleo on his choice of vacation spots. :) )) noticed though, and I know he noticed because he wrote me in the immediate aftermath all but asking me to tell him he was being irrational and a bit insane for thinking that Voldemort wasn't merely or most sincerely dead,” Any seriousness or weight what he’d said to that point might have carried was dampened by the fact that he sung that last bit of phrasing, “which I couldn't do on account of what I said just prior to--" Calleo stopped and blinked at nothing a few times before laughing, "You know, I don't think I ever mentioned that we've been friends since about 1930! First and only person in my entire career to write me telling me he'd read some of my papers and followed that up with Transfiguration and not Dark Arts! You have no idea how tired I was and still am of people only ever having read THOSE papers and never the much less horrible, much more interesting ones I've done on Transfiguration!"

"At any rate, it was an invitation to collaborate on research if I wanted to. Which I did, obviously, and it turned out we got along exceptionally well! Well enough that Fawkes was trying and succeeding to preen my hair within thirty seconds of meeting him as well. Still does, which is odd, most animals avoid me," Calleo shrugged and part of his attention drifted back to the dwindling stack of papers in his lap, "Anyway, he wrote me about it primarily because he's always known where I work and what my work's primary focus has been, it'd just never really been a topic of discussion because it wasn't of interest to him and I don't care to push that sort of thing on people; he's still managed to never even look into the things I'm more well known for writing and by that point I'd asked him not to, at least, not while I wasn't around for a whole hell of a lot of reasons, chief of which being that it's all rather horrible and I would absolutely feel the need to explain myself through every terrible thing I've had published."

"But, the point is, he knew it was my area of expertise and the likely reality was--because of that expertise--likely a lot worse than he'd imagined, and he's not really wrong, I'm just so desensitised to it that it hardly registers as anything other than textbook knowledge half the time which meant it wasn't all that difficult to convince him to let me handle that side of the whole mess."

Another couple papers disappeared, "And it is a mess, make no mistake about that; the Ministry is adamant Voldemort is dead and any mention of the contrary all but gets a coordinated campaign of discreditation started against whoever won't toe the line. Unfortunately for them, the general view is that anyone working in the Archives is already a little bit to moderately mad, so it has no effect on me and I know a lot of people who either owe me a whole hell of a lot of favours or who have a vested interest in not letting another slightly genocidal Dark Lord get a foothold in continental Europe again. Goblins, mostly," Calleo grinned at his papers, "you didn't get them all, you know, I had three left by the end and only rebuilt from there. I still work just as closely with Lagraff, Koggot, and Aldig and they'd already started before Albus asked when I could GET started!"

"But, the most interesting thing I'd caught was while Voldemort was still counted among the living: The scraps of your little empire, the ones who hadn't been locked away for life or executed, they initially watched Voldemort with mild interest that quickly turned to open, hostile disdain as he kept flailing against an already ineffective, disorganised, panicked government and made no substantial public or political progress while trying to sell himself as something--better--to them. An odd number of them also hold positions in various governments and have either worked with me for years now which is, in some cases, exactly as awkward for them as you might imagine, or owe me a substantial number of favours or debt."

"And this?" Calleo twirled a finger at the ceiling of the dreary, depressing, and rather dim tower cell, "This is the closest thing to a holiday I've had in over forty years, and even then, even you have to have noticed that I routinely have to hop outside that window and away from the magic smothering nonsense of this building because if I'm muted or 'fuzzy' for too long, too many people notice and get a tiny bit alarmed."

"That's why I'm 'like this'! I haven't had a day off in forty six years and the last time I had any time away from work it was STILL up a tower locked in a room with you! Now that I think about it, every single time I've been away from the Ministry for any extended period of time, it's always ended with me somehow being stuck somewhere with you! You're the human equivalent of one of these things!" Calleo dug around in his pockets while he wrapped up that minor rant and pulled out--something--that was whipped across the room, aimed directly for Grindelwald's forehead.

It was--sticky and soft and a thin thread of it led back to Calleo's hand. The end that wound up on the side of the cell Grindelwald was on looked a bit gummy and a lot hand shaped.

#(Could you not be yourself FOR FIVE MINUTES is probably something Calleo hears routinely)#(the answer is no)#stories #v: ftbawtft #v: first war #hp rp #1986 #(but if you ever wanted to see someone tell Grindelwald he was the human equivalent of one of those sticky hand toys)#(while whipping one across the room at his face)#(You're welcome)#(Age definitely does not equal maturity because in this verse he's 100 in 1986)

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scotianostra · 5 years

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On July 29th 1567 King James VI was crowned at Stirling.

Picking up from last wednesday's post when Mary was forced to abdicate, the powers that be wasted no time in getting the formalities over and crowning the 13 month old son of Lord Darnley. The last time James saw his mother, Mary was in 1567, when he was barely a year old.

Because of his young age a regent was appointed to act as head of state. In fact, during his minority a succession of regents were chosen to rule in his stead.

The first regent was Mary’s half brother, James Stuart, Earl of Moray, Upon the Earl’s death in 1570, Matthew Stewart, Earl of Lennox, who was James grandfather, became the second regent. His regency didn’t last very long, as he died in 1571. The third regent was James’s guardian, John Erskine, the first Earl of Mar whose regency also didn’t last long, he died in 1572. The fourth and last of the regents was the very powerful James Douglas, Earl of Morton.

In spite of his mother’s Catholic faith, James was brought up in the Protestant religion. He was educated by men who had empathy for the Presbyterian church. His marriage to Anne of Denmark (a protestant country) no doubt pleased his Protestant subjects.

James VI is said to have had a terrible childhood, much like his forebears, including his great-grandfather. He had been used and abused by his tutors who were just looking to someone to manipulate and to mold into their little puppet. He was then told that his mother was the most horrible person in the world to the point that he did not know what the truth was anymore. When he was a teenager he became very independent and learned to hide his feelings very well but he also started working for his mother’s release, although some historians dispute this.

He was vocal in his opposition for his mother's trial and subsequent execution and I even read that James was "Desperate for his mother's life". He even destroyed the casket letters in 1584, which although may confirm that they may have had actual proof against Mary, was definitely a move so that his mother can rest in peace after her death and that her memory and legacy will stop being trashed and disgraced because of the letters.

Who knows what really went through his mind. Did he really care about her? Or was he was just looking to release her because he was worried that her execution and her bad reputation would also affect him and his chances to get the throne? There is some reason to believe this last one because Fontenay, the French Ambassador, noted that whenever James talked about his mother, he never “inquired anything of the queen or of her health, or her treatment, her servants, her living, and eating, her recreation, or anything similar.” And how could he when he never knew her and the people who raised him kept telling him ugly stuff about her? To those that were closest to the young King, his mother was the devil incarnate.

Whichever was, Elizabeth I was never going to release Mary Queen of Scots anytime soon and she must have made this very clear because the following year in 1585, when James was 19, he agreed with her decision to keep his mother in prison and even called Elizabeth “Madame Mother”. Imagine how this made Mary feel,her only son, the only hope she had to get free, calling her jailer ‘mother’. It was at this point that she started looking for other means to be released. Ultimately we know they all failed.

I didn't really want this to turn into another post about Mary, but she is so involved in the history of it all she will inevitably turn up time and time again. Anyway more on Young james.......

King James was tutored by George Buchanan and Peter Young. He was a dedicated student and by the age of 8 he was fluent in French, Latin, Greek, and English. This stern upbringing would inspire him to appreciate the arts and sciences and encourage the learning of them all throughout his reign, the King once remarked, that he could speak Latin before he could speak his native Scots. Because of his linguistic capabilities, King James typically did not need a translator when conducting business with other heads of state. King James grew into a powerful king with a powerful pen--he had peace at home and abroad, something few of his ancestors could dream of. His motto was His motto was "Beati Pacifici,"--Blessed are the peacemakers, not to mixed up with -Blessed are the cheesemakers, which of course came from The Life of Brian! ;)

King James' great aspiration to be the first King of both Scotland and England was realized in 1603 upon the death of Queen Elizabeth. When he ascended to the English throne that year he had already been king of Scotland for 36 years. He was now known as King James VI of Scotland & I of England. This came with its own dangers, and of course one of the most famous plots in history, still remembered every November in is known as Guy Fawkes Night.

As a Scotsman ruling over the English, the King endured much racism and slander--especially from the once powerful English Lords and Ladies who he replaced with his Scottish countrymen. Unfortunately, many of today's historians look to the writings of hostile sources such as Sir Anthony Weldon and Francis Osborne as accurate descriptions of the king, nowadays we would say, Haters gonna hate!

The king wrote of his enemies: "They quarrel me (not for any evil or vice in me) but because I was a king, which they thought the highest evil, and because they were ashamed to profess this quarrel they were busy to look narrowly in all my actions, and I warrant you a moat in my eye, yes a false report was matter enough for them to work upon."

The thing with King James is he believed in the doctrine of the divine right of kings and the monarch's duty to reign according to God's law and the public good. This would be handed down to his son Charles I and then to Charles II leading to the loss of many lives during their reigns in The English Civil War,The Bishops Wars and of course The Killing Time.

As a lover of the theatre, King James became patron to the troop of one of his most famous subjects--William Shakespeare, the playwright. Shakespeare's troop came to be known as the King's Men. Shakespeare and the King held a special relationship as they both loved literature. It is said Shakespeare wrote his famous play, "Macbeth" specifically for King James. The "Scottish Play" as it is known in theatrical circles may well be one of Shakespeare's most famous plays, but when you look at the real history of Macbeth, the play was basically The Braveheart of it's day!

Afew other facts surrounding James and his legacy, the US Jamestowne is home to the ruins of the first permanent English speaking settlement in the country, and named in his honour.

To this day the translation of the bible he ordered is known as the Authorized King James Bible. He appointed 54 men to the committee who were not only the best linguists and scholars in the kingdom, but in the world. Much of their work on the King James Bible formed the basis for our linguistic studies of today.

King James had a life filled with accomplishments but he was a man acquainted with grief. He was a sickly man who had physical handicaps in his legs and allegedly a tongue that was too large for his mouth! As a result of his unsteady gait, the king had numerous falls, accidents and injuries. He suffered from crippling arthritis, abdominal colic, gout, inability to sleep, weak/spasmic limbs, nausea, frequent diarrhea, and kidney pain. Some believe that he may have had congenital diseases of the nervous system. Sometimes the pain was so great that the king became delirious.

To add to his ill-health, the James it is thought suffered from depression from the death by his eldest son, Prince Henry in 1612 and his Queen in 1619. James VI was no stranger to pain and sorrow.

I didn't set out to put a long post like this together sometimes they just happen, King James VI & I died on March 27th , 1625 at Theobalds Park in Herts, England. He was 58 years old when he died and had been King of Scotland for most of those years, as well monarch of England for 22, he was buried at Westminster Abbey.

Unlike many Scottish monarchs, King James died in his bed at peace with his subjects and foreign countries. He also passed royal power on, intact, to an adult son which was also quite unusual.

#Scotland #scottisih #The Stewarts #cooking #monarchy #History

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lizziebennet · 5 years

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AURORA. Very important question for you on this Tuesday night - what is your opinion on the HP scores and could you order them from fav to least fav?

what an excellent and essential question. i admit that it’s hard for me to approach this matter from an objective point of view as obviously my opinions of these scores are very intensely affected by nostalgia and my experience w the film itself, but i shall try my hardest to just evaluate the scores on their own merit.

RANKING OF THE HARRY POTTER FILM SCORES, FROM WORST TO BEST:

7. deathly hallows part 1&2 by alexandre desplat

i remember when it was announced desplat was going to be doing the last 2 films and it was so exciting to have such a Hot Composer taking on the final two films… but i gotta say he severely disappointed me and i haven’t forgiven desplat since. these films–especially part 2–were the culmination of the entire franchise, and should’ve been fucking epic masterpieces that evoked the previous films’ score. instead, desplat largely ignored the iconic potter themes that williams and others created and went in his own direction which like… isn’t really the right move for the last 2 films of a franchise imo.

and im just not super a fan of what he came up with?? like ‘lily’s theme’ is good, but im not sure it really fits potter?? and i just feel like a lot of the final battle stuff could’ve been so much more epic and emotional like. it doesn’t take a lot for a bitch to cry in a harry potter movie but desplat wasn’t helping me out u know. anyway i honestly like the score he did for fucking new moon better than for potter which …….is not great.

6. order of the phoenix by nicholas hooper

i am trying not to let my hatred of this movie cloud my judgement here but like even so i think this is one of the weaker scores. there are just so many annoying tracks lmaooo that like they blast at the wizarding world parks u know. like umbridge’s theme… i get its SUPPOSED to be annoying but still its not a fave. and like i think again the stuff in the ministry of magic during the fight scenes couldve been better. its just not a fave tbh but i do like a few themes like particularly the track ‘a journey to hogwarts’ is very sweet and sirius’s death moment was well done. but overall there are more tracks on this one i skip than play.

5. chamber of secrets by john williams

this is where things get rly tricky bc i legit love the rest of these scores. but i have to put chamber here because i feel like a lot of its greatness piggybacks off the genius of the score of sorcerer’s stone... which isn’t a bad thing at all but. it doesn’t bring a ton of new stuff to the table. however i do love the ‘fawkes the phoenix’ theme!!! so!! much!!! and lockhart’s theme is very funny and cute. we do edge into a saccharine territory a bit when it comes to tracks like ‘reunion of friends’ but like i cry every time so who fucking cares.

4. half-blood prince by nicholas hooper

i really really love this score as a stand alone score, and i almost put it higher on this list but i feel like this score totally abandons all the potter scores that have come before it and does its totally own new thing. this isn’t really the scores fault, as im sure like david yates told hooper to do this you know, but it deviates so far from the original themes instead of just adding onto them, so much so that if you just heard it without watching the movie you might not even associate it with the potter movies at all. again, this probably isn’t hooper’s fault but i think this was a big mistake for the sonic evolution of the movies. the potter movies failed to create a cohesive sound across all the films, and i think it is worse for it. can u imagine if the harry potter movies were like the lord of the rings movies, where they bring back themes from the first movie in the final one and the audience recognizes them subconsciously and the moment is all the more emotional because of it? tbh just a missed opportunity imo.

but anyway just about this score on its own, it has some of the best standalone tracks in the entire movies tbh. the one that stands out the most to me is of course ‘dumbledore’s farewell.’ such a hauntingly beautiful song--i remember seeing this movie for the first time and this track pierced me to my core. i also love how this score uses harp like in ‘when ginny kissed harry,’ and how it uses choral arrangements?? like in ‘in noctem.’ honestly i adore this score so much but i have to rank it lower because i doesn’t feel like it serves its purpose in the potter movies as a whole well :(

3. goblet of fire by patrick doyle

idk why patrick doyle only did the 1 movie because i really like this score. i know its super hard to follow up john fucking williams lmaooo but i feel like he did a pretty good job of drawing from the original williams themes but also incorporating some new stuff to fit the darker tone of the movie. there are some of my favorite potter tracks of all time on this score like ‘death of cedric’ which is so haunting and perfect and ‘harry in winter’ which is so beautiful and potter-esque. he also did a really good job with the action scenes in the graveyard which is v important to me. and the diegetic music in the yule ball stuff is so funny and lovely at the same time.

2. sorcerer’s stone by john williams

the fucking classic. the og. like, what is there to say?? talented brilliant incredible amazing showstopping never the same totally unique. like only john williams could create such an iconic theme. it’s hard for me to be objective here because i was young enough when the first movie came out that ‘hedwig’s theme’ /is/ harry potter to me, they are one in the same, you cannot separate them in my mind. but truly williams captured the magic of the harry potter world in music and enchanted everyone with this score.

i also love the little medieval-y influences in this score that were dropped by chamber of secrets. like with the harp moments and in ‘diagon alley and the gringotts vault’ and ‘in ‘hogwarts forever!’ there’s just a very majestic and antique vibe that i really dig that didn’t really carry over to the other movies.

i will say sometime williams gets very... williams-y in his very uhh loud?? and kinda frantic composing u can hear in like ‘the quidditch match’ which isn’t my favorite way to do action scenes, but like who the fuck cares u know the pros of this score far outweigh it.

like. just. so manyyy iconic themes that have so much EMOTIONAL WEIGHT!!! like the moment u see hogwarts for the first time and the choral vocals... and the bells in ‘christmas at hogwarts.’ and who can keep a dry eye during ‘leaving hogwarts’??? NOT I!!!!!!!!!!! such a gentle theme of longing and home and yearning and family and bittersweet loss. it starts so small and intimate but then swELLS to this grand and sweeping tune. it’s stunning.

1. prisoner of azkaban by john williams

this is PEAK!!! potter for me. again, hard to be objective because this is the best my favorite harry potter movie, but i also truly think this is the best score because it carries over the iconic themes of the first two movies but adds a quirky and dramatic flair that fits the tone of the movie cuaron was trying to make u know? i think u can really tell that cuaron had a lot of imput on the score and didn’t just let williams do whatever he wanted, because we get a really interesting, stylized sound that is really different from williams usual fare in such a great way. but, it still is a williams score and because of that it shines and also weaves in the past movies’ themes to give us an outstanding amalgamation of sound and melody.

like we start with ‘lumos!’ which gets us right back into the potter universe but then we get a series of quirky new themes, like the waltz for aunt marge, the jazzy knight bus theme, and the medieval choral rendition of ‘double trouble’... iconic. and we get the dark and disturbing dementors theme (’apparition on the train’) which is very understated for a williams score and extremely effective.

however ,,,, we do not abandon the themes from prior movies!!!!! a great illustration of how williams takes those old potter themes and adapts them for this movie can be seen in ‘secrets of the castle.’ this minimalist take on hedwigs theme is a completely different tone from the original, but still establishes that we are in the same sonic world as that film. you can also see this in ‘the portrait gallery’ where an old potter theme is played on some kind of woodwind (idk sorry) and a harpsichord, giving the odd, quirky, vintage feel of the movie but still keeping with the established potter musical world.

i really love the ~medieval vibes~ that this score gives me and i wish this was something later scores went back to (instead of going in a jazz direction..looking at you hooper). theres a lot of traditional sounding instruments used that give it a real rustic, celtic feel rather than the grand classicism of a full orchestral sound that the first 2 movies use. a lot of harps, strings, and woodwinds!!!!

some of my favorite tracks of all time are on this score. ‘window to the past’ is just... a triumph of emotion. its absolutely stunning in its simplicity in the beginning, and how it builds toward the end. the return of that theme in ‘finale’ when sirius is saying goodbye to harry...i truly sob every time. the isolated vocals in ‘the patronus light’ truly embody the purity of that awe and joy when the patronus is cast. and of course, of course, ‘buckbeak’s flight’ is an absolute magical joy ride captured in sound. williams refrains from using a full orchestra for most of the score, so when everyone plays together in moments like this you get the full grandeur of the scene just... bAM! it’s so fucking well done and just... perfect.

#anonymous #aurora got an ask #sorry this took a literally age to finish.... but as u can see #i had a lot to say #would love to hear other ppls thoughts!!!!#hp #harry potter #john williams #scores #aurora RANTS

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aidanchaser · 5 years

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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: Everyone Lives

Table of Contents beta’d by @ageofzero

Chapter Eighteen Dobby’s Reward

There was a moment of silence while Harry stood awkwardly in the door with Ron, Ginny, Lockhart, and his mother. All of them were covered in slime and muck and they probably smelled like a moldy dungeon. Harry half-expected Professor McGonagall to send him away to clean up.

Then he saw Professor Dumbledore leaning against the mantle of the fireplace beside his father and his heart soared. Dumbledore was back and even his father was here. Everything would be fine from here on out.

Then Mrs. Weasley sobbed loudly, “Ginny!” and she rushed over to hug her only daughter. Ginny started crying all over again, and Mrs. Weasley cried all over her.

James ran to Lily and Harry, and as James embraced them both, Harry realized suddenly he was covered in blood. Some of it his, some of it the basilisk’s, and a lot of it the diary’s — though he suspected the diary’s was more likely red ink. Lily had a fair bit of it on her, too.

“Are you both alright?” James asked quickly.

Harry nodded. He had no room to be bitter with his parents or Sirius or Remus about withholding the information about the basilisk from him. He was only glad that he and Ginny were alive, and that his parents were there. Harry had never been more content to be squished between his parents, until Lily started to cry.

Harry pulled himself out of the hug and watched his mother sob into his dad’s shoulder. He suddenly felt very uncomfortable, and a piece of his bitterness returned. This wasn’t his fault, and he felt prepared to defend his actions and even Ginny’s, because this wasn’t her fault, either. This was all the work of Tom Riddle.

But he wasn’t out of a hug for very long. Mrs. Weasley swept him and Ron up into a single hug, and thanked them both for saving Ginny. She peppered their foreheads with kisses before letting go, only to pryl Lily out of James’s arms, and the two mothers were crying into each other’s shoulders. Harry didn’t understand why there were so many tears. Everyone was safe. Then he saw even his father wipe his eyes beneath his glasses and Harry thought maybe he also wanted to cry.

“I think,” Professor McGonagall began slowly, “we would all like to know what happened.”

Harry put the Sorting Hat and the diary down on the desk. Ginny handed him the sword, and he added that to the pile of things. Fawkes landed on his shoulder and ruffled his feathers in a proud, but supportive sort of gesture, and Harry began with when he found the diary, and the story Tom Riddle had shown him. Then he told them how he and Ron had gone to Hagrid for answers, and Hagrid had given them a clue about the spiders.

Lily’s lips pressed together in a very thin line. She looked like she had a lot of angry things to say, but Harry found he was less intimidated by her temper when she was covered in dirt and her eyes were puffy from crying.

Harry told them about Aragog, and the clue Aragog had given them about Moaning Myrtle. He left out the harrowing escape from the spider’s den, since present company had already heard about it. Then he told them how they’d discovered the monster was a basilisk, and that he and Ron had meant to tell the teachers everything they knew.

He shifted uncomfortably and fidgeted with his wand. “We sort of got caught up in rescuing Ginny, I think,” Harry said. He wasn’t sure he could explain how angry he’d been, and how he’d blamed his mother for Ginny being taken. It was easier to be forgiving now that everyone was safe, but there was still a residual sting that made him afraid to speak about his hurt outloud.

He told them about Lockhart, and Lockhart looked surprised to hear his own story. Then Harry told them about the Chamber, and Tom Riddle, who had revealed himself to be Voldemort, and how the diary had possessed Ginny.

Mrs. Weasley looked shocked that Voldemort had possessed her daughter, and she clung tightly to Ginny, as if holding her closer would keep her safer.

Harry handed the diary to Dumbledore, who inspected it closely. “Brilliant,” he murmured quietly. “Of course, he was probably the most brilliant student to ever attend Hogwarts.”

Mrs. Weasley looked at Dumbledore furiously. She demanded to know how You-Know-Who could’ve gotten to her daughter, and Dumbledore explained everything that Tom had told Harry — that Tom had attended Hogwarts many years ago, that he’d left a piece of himself in the diary.

Ginny sobbed out that she’d been writing in the diary all year, that she didn’t know it had belonged to You-Know-Who.

“I think,” Professor Dumbledore said, “Miss Weasley should go up to the hospital wing right away. Bed rest and perhaps a large steaming mug of hot chocolate. I always find that cheers me up.” He smiled gently at Ginny. “Madam Pomfrey should be nearly ready to administer the Mandrake juice. I imagine our friends will be waking up any moment.”

“Hermione’s okay!” Ron said with a wide smile.

“So, Ginny, you’ll find there’s been no lasting harm,” Dumbledore said.

Ginny cried a little more, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley led her to the hospital wing.

Harry felt a new rush of relief. Everything really would be fine. Hermione, Collin, Justin, and Penelope would all be awake soon. Ginny was safe. The monster in the Chamber of Secrets was dead for good. His parents were safe. Everything was fine.

“Gilderoy,” Dumbledore said. “I think you’d better follow them and let Madam Pomfrey have a look at you.”

Gilderoy Lockhart bobbed his head, and skipped after the Weasleys.

“And, you know, Minerva,” Professor Dumbledore said, “I think all this merits a good feast. Might I ask you to go alert the kitchens?”

“Of course,” Professor McGonagall answered. She paused at the doorway, nodded encouragingly to James and Lily, then left for the kitchens.

As soon as McGonagall was gone, Lily sank into her now vacated chair. James kept his hand on her shoulder and she held onto it like she was afraid he’d disappear if she let go.

“Harry, Ron,” Dumbledore began, “I heard from Professor McGonagall that you have been getting into quite a bit of trouble while I was gone. Today would be, then, the third time you’ve snuck away from your teachers while under curfew?”

Harry and Ron nodded glumly.

“It seems the lesson to be learned here is trust. I think all of us can agree from now on, we should trust each other with the things we learn, especially when it concerns the safety of the ones we love, yes? So on that happy note, I think Special Awards of Merit are in order for you two boys, and I think… two hundred points to Gryffindor, each. That seems reasonable.”

Harry felt stunned. Two hundred…? That was more than a Snitch was worth.

“Th-thank you,” he stammered, and Ron did the same.

“Now, Ron, why don’t you join your family? I’d like a moment with Harry, if you don’t mind.”

Ron glanced at Harry and Dumbledore curiously, but nodded and did as he had been told. “I’ll tell Hermione you’ll be there soon,” he said to Harry, and headed off to the infirmary.

“First of all, Harry, I wanted to thank you. You must’ve shown me real loyalty down in the Chamber. Nothing but that could have called Fawkes to you.”

Harry went to stand by his parents. Part of him wanted to sit in his mother’s lap. It hadn’t been too long ago that he could do that. But instead he let her wrap her arm around his shoulder.

Dumbledore stroked Fawkes’ feathers gently. “And you met Tom Riddle in that diary. I can imagine he was most interested to meet you.”

Harry looked between his parents for a minute, then said, “Riddle said that I’m like him. Strange likenesses….”

Dumbledore smiled gently. “Did he now? And what do you think, Harry?”

“I’m not like him,” Harry said quickly. “I’m — I’m in Gryffindor —” he looked helplessly up at his dad, and then at his mum.

“He won’t be upset,” Lily whispered with a faint smile. “Not really, anyway.”

Harry took a deep breath. “The Sorting Hat told me I’d — My first year, it said I would have done well in Slytherin. Everyone thought I was Slytherin’s heir for a while because I can speak Parseltongue. Maybe I’m supposed to be….”

“You can speak Parseltongue,” Dumbledore said, “because Lord Voldemort — who is the last remaining descendant of Salazar Slytherin — can speak Parseltongue. Unless I’m much mistaken, he transferred some of his own powers to you when he gave you that scar. Not something he intended to do, I’m sure….”

Lily’s arm tightened around his shoulder.

“Voldemort put a bit of himself in me?”

“It certainly seems so.”

“So… I should be in Slytherin.” Harry looked down at the floor.

“True, you have many qualities that Salazar Slytherin prized in his students. You can speak Parseltongue, you’re incredibly resourceful, full of determination, and share a certain disregard for the rules,” he said with a small smile. “Yet the Sorting Hat placed you in Gryffindor. Do you know why that was?”

“Only because I asked not to be in Slytherin.”

“Exactly. Which makes you very different from Tom Riddle. It’s our choices, Harry, more than our abilities, that show what we truly are.” Dumbledore gestured to the sword on the table. “This was the sword of Godric Gryffindor. Only a true Gryffindor could have pulled it from the Sorting Hat. If you still doubt where you belong, this should put those doubts to rest.”

Harry stared at the sword for a moment, then looked up at his father, who was grinning proudly. Only his mother still looked anxious. He wondered if she was still thinking about the basilisk in the Chamber. It had nearly killed them both, because he hadn’t trusted her to help.

“For now, I think all of you need food, a bath, and sleep.” He picked up a letter from his desk. “And I need to write to Azkaban to see to it our gamekeeper is returned.”

Lily and James rose, but they didn’t make it very far. The door burst open and Lucius Malfoy strode in.

“Good evening, Lucius,” Dumbledore said with a small smile.

“Good evening,” James said as well, maintaining a polite but thin smile.

Lily said nothing.

Harry looked down and saw Dobby still trailing after Malfoy. It seemed he’d left in a rush — half-polished shoes, disheveled hair, and an unusual crease in the cloak of his robe. Harry’s suspicions that Dobby belonged to the Malfoys were confirmed, and Harry burned with anger to see the man who treated Dobby so terribly.

“So,” Lucius said to Dumbledore, ignoring Harry and his parents, “you’ve come back. The governors suspended you, but you still saw fit to return to Hogwarts.”

Dumbledore was still smiling. Harry thought this exchange might turn out to be more exciting than Sirius punching Lucius in the face.

“Yes, it seemed they heard that Arthur Weasley’s daughter had been killed, so they asked me to come back to fix it. Strange, that several of them were under the impression you’d curse their families if they didn’t agree to suspend me in the first place.”

“So,” Malfoy said, completely ignoring Dumbledore’s accusation, “did you stop the attacks?”

“Yes, we did indeed. It seems that Lord Voldemort was able to act through somebody else, by means of this diary. A good thing we found this diary, too. Otherwise it might’ve seemed as if Ginny acted of her own free will, and we never would’ve been able to prove that she was being manipulated by Lord Voldemort.”

Lucius Malfoy looked like he was torn between fury and disgust. Dobby was pointing at the diary and at Lucius Malfoy. Harry stared at the house-elf for a moment before figuring out the connection.

“Don’t you think, Mr. Malfoy,” Harry started, “that it’s odd that Ginny got a hold of the diary?” His mother gave him a warning look, but Harry didn’t care.

“I can’t imagine where a stupid little girl would pick up something like that,” he said with a curl of his upper lip.

“Because you gave it to her. In Flourish and Blotts. You picked up her old Transfiguration book and slipped the diary inside it, didn’t you?”

“Prove it,” Malfoy snarled, and Harry felt both his parents pull him closer, like they were afraid of what Malfoy might do.

“No one will be able to do that,” Dumbledore said quickly. He smiled at Harry. “Not now that Riddle has vanished from the book. But I would advise you, Lucius, not to continue giving away any more of Lord Voldemort’s old school things.”

Lucius Malfoy hesitated for a moment. Harry wondered if he was going to curse Dumbledore. But then he turned around and said, “We’re going, Dobby!” He pulled the door of Dumbledore’s office open again and kicked Dobby out through it.

Harry frowned and grabbed the diary. “May I please give the diary back to Mr. Malfoy?”

Dumbledore smiled. “If you wish. But don’t forget the feast.”

As soon as Harry was outside the door, he slipped off his gross, slimy sock, and tucked into into the diary.

—————————— ✶✶✶——————————

Lily wanted a warm bath. She wanted to eat five helpings of pudding and wash it down with a bottle of firewhiskey. She wanted to lie in bed with James and Harry and never leave. She just wanted to feel like her family was safe again.

Dumbledore drummed his fingers against the fireplace mantle thoughtfully. He looked less like the Headmaster she’d known in her school days, less like the Headmaster who had been so kind to Harry all these years, and more like the man who had come to them and told them they were being hunted by Lord Voldemort. He looked more like the man who had fervently kept them safe for a year and a half until they were betrayed by someone they trusted. He was a man she trusted just as dearly as the charming school teacher, but he was a man she also feared.

“Do you think,” James said, his voice a little hoarse, “we should tell Harry about the prophecy then?”

Lily wondered what James thought of the prophecy now. Voldemort was clearly not gone. They may have wanted to believe their son had triumphed, but the prophecy was not fulfilled. Their son was the only one who could ultimately kill Voldemort, and if he failed, he would die. He’d faced Voldemort twice and lived, but she still felt terrified.

“We can’t,” she said, her voice nearly breaking. “We can’t tell him that. He’s only twelve. He doesn’t — he can’t.” She looked to Dumbledore for support. Even though he had just told Harry how important it was to have trust and communication, she felt like if they told Harry that he would someday have to face Voldemort, that saving their world was up to him, it would take all the joy out of his life. It was hard enough for her to keep the prophecy from taking all the joy out of her life. She couldn’t do that to her only son.

“I think,” the old wizard began slowly, “that Harry has enough things to worry about without having a great destiny thrust upon his shoulders. However, I also think that Harry has been through enough that if anyone at his age can bear that weight, he could. You are his parents, and it is your decision.”

“But which decision is right?” James asked. “Is it right to keep lying to him? To keep avoiding his questions about his scar and the war? His nightmares… they’re part of his connection to You-Know-Who, aren’t they?”

Lily had to hold down another sob. So James really had been thinking about all the terrible things she’d been thinking about. Even though he’d been encouraging in his letters, insisting everything was alright, he’d been worrying too. It was both comforting and heartbreaking.

“We can’t tell him,” Lily repeated. “I just want him to grow up happy and loved.” She tightened her hands around the armrests of the chair. “That’s more important to me than anything.”

James ran his hand through her hair, combing out some of the muck and dried blood. “I agree,” he said quietly. “I think that’s the best thing we can do for Harry.”

“Then we will wait until Harry turns seventeen, as originally agreed,” Dumbledore said. “For now, I think the students would like to see their Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher safe and sound. I imagine you’re the best teacher they’ve had in many years, and now you can add defeating a basilisk to your resume.”

“It was all Harry,” Lily said weakly. “I’m afraid I stood there and cried for a lot of it.”

“I bet you were very brave,” James said, and kissed her forehead. Then he made a disgusted face. “You really need a bath.”

She laughed, the first laugh in what felt like years. Truthfully, it had been at least a week.

She and James got up and started for The Great Hall. At the bottom of the stairs, they heard a high-pitched voice say loudly, “Dobby is free!”

As they rounded the corner, they saw Lucius Malfoy lunge towards their son. “You’ve lost me my servant, boy!”

Lily gasped and James drew his wand, but before they could do anything, there was a loud bang and Malfoy fell backwards. He tumbled down another flight of stairs and landed in a crumpled heap. Quickly, he stood and drew his wand, but Dobby got between him and Harry.

“You will not harm Harry Potter! Go now!” Dobby said and pointed a finger at Lucius Malfoy.

Lucius hesitated, then with a flick of his cape, left.

“Harry Potter freed Dobby!” the house-elf cried shrilly.

“It was the least I could do, Dobby,” Harry said. “Just promise me never to try and save my life again.” Harry laughed, and the house-elf laughed with him.

Lily almost sank to her knees. She might have if James hadn’t caught her arm. Three times in one week she’d watched her son be attacked. She couldn’t do this. She loved Harry and wanted to protect him, but without James, she didn’t have the strength.

She and James had been each other’s support for almost fifteen years. They’d raised Harry together, and now, even if they couldn’t trust him with with the knowledge of the prophecy, they had to trust him to be safe at Hogwarts. After this week, that sounded like a terrible idea. She would just have to make sure that whoever Dumbledore hired to replace her would be someone trustworthy. Someone who could keep Harry safe.

—————————— ✶✶✶——————————

The feast was thrilling, and lasted for the entire evening. Harry was so happy to be with Hermione again, he didn’t even care that he was still covered in slime and dirt. It actually was kind of cool the way everyone looked at him, especially after Dumbledore announced to the school what he and Ron had done, and how many points they’d won for Gryffindor.

Justin Finch-Fletchley apologized to him. Colin asked for several pictures and Harry didn’t even complain. Hagrid arrived at half-past three and he, Ron, and Hermione all gave him a huge hug.

Lily was nearly as popular as Harry and Ron, at least with the sixth and seventh years. Even those fourth and fifth years who had been loyal to Lockhart hung around her and James’s table. James impressed them with a story about him and Sirius escaping Death Eaters and Muggle police on a motorcycle. It awed the children who had wizards for parents and highly amused the handful of Muggle-born students.

The sun rose and the only thing Harry was disappointed about was that there would be no rematch for the Quidditch cup until next year.

#harry potter and the chamber of secrets #harry potter everyone lives au #hp everyone lives #harry potter #hp fic

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rpchive · 6 years

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Ninety Eighth Encounter-- All Fun, Possible Profit

see, Maya has a fun side...sorta?

Maya is in the console room with Zenith, Nydins, and Rio. Zenith seems a bit sheepish around her still.

Zenith: ...If we're gonna be meeting up again, you'd better not bring any guns this time!

Maya: Oh, there won't be any weapons. Just a table and an empty bottle. Surely you can handle that. Collin pokes his head into the console room. "Uh, did I just hear Maya suggest playing 'spin the bottle'?" Maya: Well, yes and no...look, just meet me in the practice room...with everybody again. I'll explain when we're all together. Collin: Alright, but everyone's going to be a little gunshy after the last time we did this. Quite literally, in my case at least. Maya: Feel free to check me at the door, if that's the case. Hell, I'll play nude if you want.

Rio: P-please don't! Collin: Y-Yeah, we're good there. I'll see you guys in a little bit then. Maya heads for the room along with Nydins and Rio. Gradually everyone is made aware of another meeting and files back in to the training room, although Fawkes seems far more on alert this time around. Maya and the others are there; a large, circular table in the room along with a singular, empty glass bottle just within arms reach.

Maya: So, I don't need to explain Spin the Bottle to anyone, right? But we won't be playing truth or dare, or kissing, or anything like that. Anyone can spin the bottle, but whoever it points to has to say something personal. Something about themself; somethin' they've been thinking...stuff like that. Figured I should lighten up on you guys a little...for now, anyway. Daedalus: What, team building exercises? I hadn't expected something so... juvenile from the person who pulled a gun on us the last time we gathered up. Maya: But you still don't know anything about yourselves, do you? Oh, but you can still lie. It doesn't matter what you say, but everyone has to say something about themself. Collin: I... guess we can manage that. Uh, who's going first? Maya: Whoever wants to. This is all for you guys, after all. Daedalus: Alright, fine, I'll get this thing moving then.

He strides up to the table and casually spins the bottle around. The bottle slowly stops on Demo, who leans back in her chair and sighs. "My birds aren't the only things that can hide what they really look like, even if you manage to see what I look like under this, it won't be totally right. So I don't really have an animal form like Jay does..."

canon explanation for how Demo...probably isn’t actually a seahorse, but she also probably said that a little to uhh...cover up that her True Form is kind of embarrassing, as if being a bunny isn’t

Grabbing the bottle, Demo spins it, and it lands on Jay.

alienrabitt: ...I, uh...I'm sorry about...I mean...

Maya: Pass the bottle. You can try again later...

Jay wordlessly puts the bottle back in the middle of the table. Fawkes steps forward and takes hold of the bottle. His hand twists around at the wrist and spins the bottle like a top. The bottle stops on Maya, who looks surprised for a moment. Leaning forward, she removes the toothpick she's been chewing on. "...Back in Lobotomy; I had a coworker who was with me for 3 months who was about my age. She transferred to a new department, and was dead in 3 days. She was my first employee when I became a manager. I still have nightmares about the corpse."

if Nydins ever grabs her or she winds up having a breakdown or something, this will be Very Relevant

Casually, she spins the bottle, and it lands on Collin. Maya returns the toothpick and leans back into her chair. Collin: ... Jesus, I had to follow that up, huh? Maya: Hey, you can spin again if you're chicken. Collin: It's not that, it's... Nevermind, uh...

He messes with his hair for a few seconds before he continues. "... I try to keep my leg on as often as possible because something about it stops this awful pain I get where my leg used to be." XL: That sounds like more than phantom limbs...is something going on again? Collin: I don't think so? It's not like it's constant, or always painful. Honestly the pain is almost preferable over it itching. Have you tried scratching a foot that you don't have? XL: No, only making expressions without a face. But I'm glad something isn't wrong again...

Demo: Yeah, Jay'd probably lose his other arm or something freaking out. Maya: Back to the bottle, please? Collin: Oh, right, sorry.

He grabs the bottle and spins it again. The bottle stops on Zenith, who glances away for a moment, and stares at the table the entire time they respond. "I, uhh...I don't really remember who I used to be all that much yet, but I still miss our mom a little...wherever she is..."

that’s okay, you’ll get over it :)

Clair gets quiet for a minute.

Zenith spins the bottle, which lands back on Demo.

Demo: Seriously? Fine. I don't have any of the weird allergies Jay had, so I just...intentionally eat stuff I know he can't, because he can't.

alienrabitt: Dude, what the hell?

Demo: Hey, you can't have it, why shouldn't I? Daedalus: Hey, someone's gotta eat that stuff, right? Demo spins the bottle, which points towards Daedalus. Daedalus: Ah hell, guess it had to happen at some point. Alright, uh... I'm almost done with my first piece of armor. That work? Maya: That...doesn't have much to do with you yourself. Daedalus: Says a lot if you think about it for a second. But fine, how about... I stole a whole bunch of classic rock CDs from the music room because so far it's helped me work the best. Silky: Is it really stealing if anybody can use them? Daedalus: Sheesh, you guys are so pedantic sometimes. Silky: I'm just saying, it's nobody's personal property. Daedalus: Whatever. That's where they are, if you're looking for them. Now then...

He quickly steps up and gives the bottle another spin. The bottle lands on Rio, who jumps slightly in surprise. "U-um, there's not much else to know about me! I don't know anything you guys don't either."

Maya: It's true; she can't say much else. Collin: Really? Not even like a favorite foo- okay well food's a bad example but you know what I mean.

cannocly they can eat

Rio: I, uhh...I like cats? Collin: Works for me.

Fawkes: I'm surprised we don't have any sort of pets on the IT, now that I think about it. alienrabitt: The IT theoretically could make animals, but...I wouldn't suggest it. Stuff made by the green sun...

Demo: Well, it might wind up like me, huh?

alienrabitt: ...Or worse. Daedalus: No alien Frankenstein pets, got it. Nervously, Rio spins the bottle, which lands on Fawkes. Fawkes: Hmm... Despite all of my recent modifications to my systems, I still feel slightly at a loss for a primary directive. Maya: But you're still functioning, huh? Fawkes: Of course. My body hasn't encountered any severe issues and no fatal exceptions have occurred in my systems. I just cannot shake the feeling that I should be doing something... more. Maya: Just don't try to become a god or something; wouldn't wanna break anyone's toy soldiers... Fawkes: Considering I can't even enter certain magical areas, I find that a little out of my reach. Maya: Magic...I hate that stuff. Didn't matter what kind of abnormality I was dealing with; the magic ones were always the worst. Hopefully you guys can change that... Fawkes: Hopefully indeed. At any rate...

He grabs the bottle and gives it another hefty spin. The bottle stops for a moment; anyone paying enough attention can see it stop at Nydins, but as she stammers nervously, failing to come up with anything to say, the bottle moves slightly to point to Azreldeh, who casually points out that the bottle hadn't even landed on Nydins and that she shouldn't worry about it so much.

Nydins: ...O-oh! I guess it didn't, haha! Alright, um, I guess it's on you, huh?

Azreldeh: Hmm...I've never had sex before. Well, not in my own body, anyway.

Firefly: Why the hell would you open with that?!

Azreldeh: Why not? We're all adults, right? Collin: Well yeah, but that's a little much to start out with, don't you think? Azreldeh: Well, if I'm too much for you to handle, maybe you just need a little more experience~.

alienrabitt: N-no way!! Get your own boyfriend!

Azreldeh: Sharing is caring, you know~.

Firefly: I wish you'd share less...!

the hot mess from hell

Collin: Good lord, just spin the bottle please... Rolling her eyes, Azreldeh spins the bottle, which lands on the pantheon. Ezorius: Oh, uh, one moment.

She seems to focus somewhere else for a moment and then comes back a second later. "Alright, since I'm already out here, um... I can play three instruments?" Maya: That's...not really personal... Ezorius fidgets for a second as she glances around at the floor before glancing back up. "I... get really jumpy if someone grabs me unexpectedly. It can scare me really easily, truth be told." Maya: ...Alright, that works. Next. Ezorius steps up and spins the bottle before shuffling back and letting Tellus swap out. The bottle stops on XL, who shrugs. "...When I dropped out of school for the war, Cosmia was the one working with Almiet. After she died, I blamed Almiet for years, but never said anything to her face. She hasn't called me out on it, but I'm pretty sure she knows..."

Rio: B-but you've let go since then, right?

XL: ...I guess. I'm not worried about revenge and avenging anymore...I've got more important things to worry about these days.

Demo: Things, or people?

XL: Bit of both. We all should. Leaning forward, XL spins the bottle, which lands on Clair.

Clair: S-seriously? ...Well, I guess I was gonna have to have a turn eventually. Um...ugh. You want something personal...I...we never went to any sort of public school. Our dad was always important to society for some reason or another, so we never really got to make any friends or anything outside of the Operation...

Rio: But you have us now!

Clair: ...Yeah...

Clair spins the bottle, which lands on Silky.

Silky: ...I don't miss being a celebrity in the slightest. I'm glad nobody recognizes me anymore.

She spins the bottle without waiting for input, and the bottle points back to Maya.

Maya: ...When I made my first suit, I didn't understand the difference between it and my normal clothes. I almost died just a few hours later. Nobody scolded me, nobody told me the difference; they just stopped the bleeding and told me I'd be back on the floor by tomorrow. They didn't give me my old suit back. Collin: Jesus Christ, how much worse could that place get? Maya: ...Well, I think everyone's said a little about themselves at this point. Unless you want to keep going...

Demo: You're avoiding the question.

Maya: And Jay never answered, but we're skirting that too, aren't we? Daedalus: And hey, don't forget Nydins either. So, we doing a lightning round or are we calling it here? Nydins: ...I can't see the future all the time; only when someone's actively doing something. When someone deliberately chooses to do something that would cause someone else to feel grief in any way, I can see the immediate reaction, or the highest point, but not the end result. So I don't tell you guys what I see most of the time; it doesn't always help. Daedalus: .... So your future vision literally only goes ahead by a few seconds? Nydins: N-not really! It's more random than that. It could be a few seconds; it could be hours later; sometimes even longer than that! It's wild, and unpredictable; all I know is what will cause grief, and who will be involved!

Maya: But that's still something to go off of. That helps somebody.

Nydins: ...Some things are unpreventable, though. Fixed points with so much weight that only a god could change them...and none have. Those points I can see at any given moment, but without context, I don't know when they could happen. Fawkes: Even still, we could at least plan around such an event so that we could have a plan of action after the fact, if not maybe even before. Nydins: ...Zenith, do you know where your mother is?

Zenith: My...huh? N-no, she's dead...

Nydins: She's not. I've seen her for weeks now. With you.

Clair: Th-that's impossible! After what she went through--...!!

Maya: And what, exactly, happened to her?

Clair: That's none of your business!!

Nydins: It becomes our business when it's going to hurt us; tell us what she is! I know she isn't dead, and I know she wants Zenith; why?!

Clair: How should I know?! We all thought she was dead after our father got desperate and started dragging in those...those things from Kujaar!!

Karumet: HE DID WHAT?!

Clair: M-mother was going to be a Zenith first; but when her body wasn't responding to human souls, Oz decided he needed to put something different in; but he wouldn't get anywhere with animals; and he couldn't get into the city; all he could do was use the things outside!

Karumet: Those things are shalvenn!! They're unstable; they...!! You're father was an idiot! No human could survive that!

Zenith: ...But a human with dozens of kleivenn souls?

Karumet: ...You bastards...you human bastards never learn a damned thing!! Collin: Okay okay, hang on a second. Nydins, does your vision give you any clue about when she shows up?

unsurprisingly, experimenting on shalvenn is...incredibly disrespectful

Nydins: She's not on the IT; I haven't seen anyone else with her besides Zenith. I don't know what happens to either of them... Collin: Damn, that really doesn't give us much huh? Alright, so how do we prepare for a Zenith but with shalvenn instead of humans? Karumet: She would have to have an amalgamated oracle...all the souls would be bound to it regardless, but...with that many kleivenn... Daedalus: Horribly out of control? Unfathomably powerful? Seriously angry at everything in existence? I'm just guessing at traits here, stop me if I'm right. Karumet: She could be capable of anything. We wouldn't be able to predict what she could do...

Maya: But that doesn't really matter so long as we can get close to her. Hell, we might not even need that!

Karumet: What are you suggesting...?

Maya: Speedwell poison. The one thing that can kill all of you regardless.

Rio: W-we can't keep something like that here!

Maya: Why not? I did. Not for long, but your ship still made it. Just make sure whoever has it is someone you trust completely. Daedalus: Well, I'm automatically out of the running. Anyone wanna volunteer for the kleivenn killing dart gun duty or however you guys plan on using that stuff? alienrabitt: ...Give it to Fawkes.

Maya: ...Why him?

alienrabitt: He's the only one who could do it. Hope for the best, plan for the worst, right? Even if she's got kleivenn magic, she can't do anything he won't be able to handle somehow. Anyone else could be taken out or stopped. Fawkes: A grim way of justifying it, but one I can't argue with. Is there a specific way I should use it? Karumet: ...No. So long as it winds up in her body by some means, she'll die. Fawkes: Then in that case, I'll begin developing a system for it as soon as I have it. I must admit, I don't take pride in manufacturing something like this, especially given my background. Given the situation however, it seems I have to play my part. Maya: So you're giving him the capability of killing kleivenn, even though you're allowed into Kujaar? Bold move.

alienrabitt: Don't say that like he'd just open fire on whoever he wanted!

Maya: Maybe not, but kleivenn are born from human wishes, right? So what's saying one couldn't adapt for technology? Fawkes: So you're concerned that a kleivenn might be immune to artificial weapons, or that it might be able to stop me somehow? Maya: I'm saying that the right kleivenn could use you against all of Kujaar. Fawkes: I would sooner self-destruct. Besides, whatever weapon I wind up making will not have an infinite supply. I don't intend to give myself the ability to manufacture speedwell. Maya: Good call. You're the only person here I couldn't get a read on for the life of me, but I think Jay's trust in you is justified. Fawkes: I try my best. He has known me just as long as Collin, essentially. Maya: Right, well then, I think everybody knows what they're doing now. Class dismissed.

Maya analyzes just about everything anyone does on the off chance that it could majorly backfire

------------------ Collin is sitting at a desk in his bedroom, leaning back in the chair. His gaze seems to go through the desk and off into nowhere as he becomes further lost in thought. Coming in from the hallway, Jay glances around the room.

"Zenith's not in here either? Jeez, where'd they go?" Collin snaps out of his thoughts and perks up slightly before turning in Jay's direction. "Huh? Oh, uh, I'm not sure either. Maybe they're in Clair's room?" alienrabitt: What're you doing all by yourself anyway? Staring at the desk won't do much to anything on it; but if you stare long enough, the IT might make it translucent. Collin: Not too much. I just keep thinking about Clair and Zenith's mom. I mean, she's a bunch of shalvenn fused together now, right? And if just one of those was strong enough to make you lose it and throw Demo and I into a desert after just being near it, imagine what fighting multiple would be like... alienrabitt: That...that wasn't me, but also, the fact that the kleivenn was shalvenn wouldn't give it the ability to do what it did, either. It was already capable of doing things to people; becoming shalvenn just made the things it did...worse.

like I’ve said, it wasn’t capable of that because it was a shalvenn, it was capable of what it did because becoming shalvenn altered its abilities. not all shalvenn would mess with somebody like that, most might not even be capable of something similar

not every saa can become a hermes either, but you know that :p

Collin: That was Tori that whole time? They didn't say anything when they called you Jay, so I just sort of figured... Well, anyway, that doesn't really change my point, does it? A bunch of crazy powers made crazier doesn't sound like the best of times. alienrabitt: Maybe not, but we can't really tell what she's capable of from here anyway. Besides, the point of making speedwell is so we won't have to give her the chance to use whatever abilities she has. Collin: Well, I hope it works out that way. I guess I just don't like all the unknowns about this whole thing. I mean, how do you even get your hands on that many shalvenn without anyone noticing? It's not like they're just wandering around everywhere to be yanked off the street. alienrabitt: Kujaar is surrounded by shalvenn left from the war, but that's the only place I could think of. Collin: True, but Nine could detect us from anywhere around there. How do you steal a bunch of those things from right underneath a kleivenn god's nose? alienrabitt: I don't think she would've gone anywhere near that sword. And she left those shalvenn there specifically to keep away nosey humans. Collin: I mean, that makes sense, but would Nine really be okay with someone just loading up shalvenn into a cart and hauling them off to God knows where? alienrabitt: I'm not even sure she knows about this; Karumet probably knows more than I do about them.

Collin: Think we should go bug her about it, then? alienrabitt: If you really wanna know more about Kujaar, she's the only one we could ask. Collin: Worth a shot. Beats staring at the desk thinking about what-ifs, at least. Jay and Collin leave their room and find Karumet and Zenith in Clair's room instead.

Karumet: ...I just don't know how anyone could get a sword like that. I mean, I have theories; but without seeing who it came from originally... Collin: Sorry, are we interrupting something? Zenith: We're just trying to figure out what's going on. Collin: Sounds like we're on the same page, then. So you guys are talking about that weird sword thing that Clair had? Clair: The stagblade, yeah.

Karumet: We still don't know who handed it off to Oz, or what he was looking for...

Clair: Well...I kind of do, but it's been so long... Daedalus' face suddenly pops in from the door way. "Time for a trip down memory lane, huh- Wow that's more people than I thought would be here." Clair: W-well at first it was just three of us...

Zenith: So what do you know about the sword?

Clair: Um, I was with dad when he got it...the woman who handed it to him had an arm like Jay's.

Karumet: ...You mean they were injured?

Clair: No, it was black and blue, just like that...

Zenith: N-no way! That doesn't just happen!

Karumet: You're right; we don't even know what really caused it to look like that... Daedalus: I feel like I'm missing something. What's so weird about having two colors exactly? Karumet: The color of a kleivenn's magic is representative of their self, while the color of their heart represents the wish of the person who commands them. But Jay's arm isn't either of those colors; and black is a color our magic simply can't become...

alienrabitt: But it wasn't always magic; it was...something physical, sort of. Not really rock, but something like it... Collin: Oh, so you're saying it was like when Jay's arm had that weird shell thing over it? Clair: I guess so... Daedalus: Alright, so impossible colors and impossible conditions. Sounds pretty identifiable at least. Is that all you remember about that little rendezvous? Clair: She told him to look for the spies.

Karumet: ...Of course. Both humans and kleivenn were killing off humans and replacing them with soldiers in order to sway things into their favor; but many kleivenn who took those roles became lost in the lie, and forgot who they truly were. Only one thing could reveal them, but whoever this was didn't seem to care for that... Daedalus: And what would the "one thing" be? Karumet: The Starlit Song. We made it as an identifier; any kleivenn in hiding could sing it, and any other kleivenn would know what it was. Unless the humans stole that from us too, we were the only ones who knew about it during the war.

the hardest part about inventing a plot important song is...lyrics

Collin: This is the first I'm hearing of it, at least. But this kleivenn just wanted Oz to hunt down other kleivenn? That seems a little counter-productive, doesn't it? Karumet: No. With Thallion seeking out the kleivenn being created after the war; and Oz weeding out spies; all that would be left to destroy is Kujaar, then themself.

Zenith: Do you think they were one of those spies too? Karumet: Sounds possible. Maybe they realized what was happening after we lost, and decided they needed to finish the job. Maybe they don't realize the war is over. Collin: That seems to be a pretty common thing, doesn't it? I don't get why it's so hard to get everyone to stop fighting. Karumet: These three were on the same side; but why? Even the kleivenn that was with Lana...something isn't right. Something bigger is happening here, and we just aren't seeing it yet. Daedalus: Oh boy, a new faction to have to tangle with, huh? Karumet: I don't even know...until we find the kleivenn that have Oz this sword, we won't know anything. We need to catch them alive...

Clair: We-- we can't just interrogate somebody!!

Karumet: They are killing us by the thousands; I can, and I will. Daedalus: Besides, we're talking about the kleivenn that gave your dad a soul stealing sword. "Good people" don't swing around shit like that, so it's not like we're just yanking some innocent schmuck into the hotseat. Clair: I just...I didn't want it to come to something like this.

Zenith: It's not your fault. You can't stop bad people from doing bad things. All you can do is hope you can stop them from continuing to do those things. Collin: It's all about making things as good as we can, and I think it's safe to say that whoever this kleivenn is does not share that sentiment. Karumet: Still, if the weapon is kleivenn made...I think I might know where it came from, assuming they haven't moved to Kujaar. Collin: Wait, really? Karumet: Yes. Though all kleivenn are capable of summoning weaponry, doing so would give the spies away, so a kleivenn began to make weaponry more similar to what humans make for them. Daedalus: A singular kleivenn made weapons for an entire network of spies? Either you didn't have a lot of spies or that kleivenn worked some serious overtime. Karumet: You underestimate the abilities of maryein kleivenn. Daedalus: ... I'll pretend that means something to me.

He hums in fake understanding and nods sagely. Karumet: ...Kleivenn born from a different sort of wish. Saa are born from the desires of others; maryein are born from talents. Collin: So the kleivenn is like... the essence of weaponsmithing or something? Karumet: Yes, exactly! Maryein exist to do one thing incredibly well for the rest of their life, just like humans! Except they're legitimately /made/ to do these tasks, whereas humans sort of...guess; settle; mess up... Daedalus: Is that a faint whiff of bias I smell, or is that just me? Karumet: Don't be ridiculous; you can't be better than somebody at something they were made to do! Collin: I'm reminded of some old story about a man that hammered in railroad spikes or something like that suddenly...

Daedalus: John Henry. Cloned minds think alike, apparently. Karumet: Oh, I'd love to see you pump out as much magical weaponry as they did. Daedalus: Hey, I'm just sayin', "never say never" and all that jazz. Karumet: Whatever; you're missing the point, you worthless bag of hot water. Daedalus: Hey, I was just making a joke originally, not my fault you got so bent out of shape about it. 'Course, if I could bend metal that easily, maybe I could keep up! Karumet: ...Look. If we find this kleivenn, we can find who the kleivenn responsible for all this is. That's what matters. Collin: Sounds good to me. They're not dangerous or anything, are they? The forger, I mean. Karumet: Wouldn't know. I wasn't a spy; I never went to meet them. I do, however, know the kleivenn in charge of escorting spies to retrieve their weaponry. Collin: So first them, and then the forger? How hard will it be to find them? Karumet: Not very; we already know them. You remember Iris, don't you? Collin: That's... She worked in the library in Kuujar, right?

Karumet: Well, that's where she works now, yes.

alienrabitt: Th...the librarian's assistant managed a ring of spies?

Karumet: Well yes, somebody had to.

alienrabitt: But her?!

Karumet: What, you act like people don't like to read anymore... Collin: That's... not really the issue.

Iris does seem pretty harmless, huh?

alienrabitt: Are you sure she can help us?

Karumet: Oh yes, she's got a fantastic memory; why do you think she works in a library? Daedalus suddenly gets a look of realization on his face, which quickly swaps out for an unbearably cheeky grin. "Guess you really can't judge a book by its cover after all, huh?" Karumet groans and rolls her eyes. "If you don't have anything to contribute, please leave; this is kind of important." Daedalus: I have plenty of things to contribute. Besides, someone has to keep you squares from getting too serious all the time. Karumet: Fine, then what do you have to say about all this? Daedalus: I already said my piece about the current topic. What, you want a stand-up session too? Karumet: Gods, no; please just...don't.

alienrabitt: So uhh...I guess we should go to Kujaar?

Karumet: Let's not put the cart before the horse yet; we can't just run off and investigate this without stopping that mess of shalvenn...

alienrabitt: Yeah, but we can't exactly fight her yet either. Might as well talk to Iris, right? Collin: Yeah, I still hear Fawkes working inside his room when I pass by, so there's probably still some time to go on that. Plus, maybe we can find something out that'll help us deal with it? Karumet: Alright, then you'd better tell Nydins where to go. Collin: Alright, I can do that.

He steps out of the room and heads off for the console room. Karumet and Jay follow, leaving Clair, Zenith, and Daedalus alone.

Zenith: ...So we're going to kill our mom too, huh...

Clair: What other choice do we have? If we don't, who knows what she'll do...?

Zenith: I know, but...you're gonna be all alone...

Clair: Well, at least I still have you, right?

Zenith: Y-yeah...uh, I guess I'll go with them and see what happens. Someone's gotta tell you anyway...

Zenith leaves without waiting for an answer. Daedalus: ... Well that was, uh... a little weird. Clair: S-sorry! You keep getting caught seeing these conversations. At least you can leave this time? Daedalus: True, but I did actually have a reason for coming here aside from giving the fish girl a hard time. Clair: Huh? What did you need? Daedalus: I was actually gonna ask about the whole... "mom" thing. I mean, it hasn't been that long since I uh... well, you know. And now we're on our way to... well, you know. Clair: ...She...she was fine when we were younger. I was probably 8 years old when she wound up at the Operation. Zenith probably didn't know her much... Daedalus: Lucky for them, huh? Guess this whole mess must be a little harder to swallow for you though. Clair: I just don't know how to feel yet...this is the first time I'll have seen her since she disappeared. Daedalus: Not to be harsh or anything, but who knows if it'll even be "her" when we find her? Are you sure you want to see something like that? Clair: ...I have to know what happened. If I can't make things right, the least I can do is...let her go. Daedalus: I can respect that. I'll be honest, it's hard for me to really understand this kind of thing, but it's easy to see it's not much fun. Clair: ...I just hope she doesn't hurt anyone. And I hope that whatever we're trying actually stops her... Daedalus: I think we're gonna have to wait and see on that one. I mean, all we really know is that she's with Zenith at some point according to Nydins' weird future vision thing. We don't really know anything she's done or /will/ do. Clair: But Nydins can only see things that cause grief, right? I guess she just knew we would have to kill her... Daedalus: ... Fair point. Just be careful if you really plan on going with us when we finally deal with her. You're not as sturdy as the giant bucket with a light-up face. Clair: Why would you go? She's gonna be dangerous... Daedalus: Weeell, I'm not totally decided on whether I'll join the party or not. Depends on how much backup the usual gang thinks they're gonna need, I guess. But hey, gotta give my stuff a test run at some point, so we'll see when the time comes. Clair: Just...be careful. I don't want more people getting hurt in this. Daedalus: I'll try my best. I doubt I'll get a third try if I wind up biting it again. Clair: I...don't really want to think about anybody dying to my mom like this... Daedalus: Er, sorry. Well, look, if there's anything else on your mind, I'm still here. If not, my door's always- well actually I keep it closed but I'll usually answer if you knock. Clair: ...Thanks... Daedalus: ... Is there anything else on your mind? You're gonna have to be patient with me, this whole "nice" thing is still a new concept. Clair: It's just weird. We never had any friends until we came here, after all. Daedalus: That makes three of- actually they might not consider me a friend still, which is... fair, honestly. But yeah, I sorta get what you mean. Nice change of pace, at least? Clair: Yeah. I hated that place. Being here is a little weird too, though. I think when thia is over, me and Zenith are gonna start going everywhere with you guys. I really want to see what's out there with them. It's what we deserve. Daedalus: Hey, you won't see me trying to stop you. Clair: ...Um, I guess that's all. Hopefully Iris or whoever can help us out. Daedalus: Fingers crossed. Anyway, like I said, let me know if you need anything.

He raises his hand in a small goodbye wave and ducks back out of the door.

aww, look at you making friends!

next time we meet the smith, and some stuff happens!

#[S4]

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eloarei · 7 years

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Because I like shipping and statistics, I guess.

(Sort of prompted by this post. ...Or maybe it was this post.) So, here's me, looking at all my ships and deciding if they (and their canon relationship) count as the “emotional heart of the story”, OR if I were to reach in and rip them (primarily their relationship) out, would the story be torn apart? YES = they are necessary to the story! NO = the story would get on fine without their relationship UNCLEAR = their relationship has an uncertain importance to the plot Before you read the whole long list (and keep in mind, these are just my ships, and not even all of them, and just my opinions), have some statistics. TOTAL SHIPS = about 87 YES ships = 56 (m/m = 28, f/m = 28) NO ships = 15 (m/m = 9, f/m = 6) UNCLEAR ships = 16 (m/m = 8, f/m = 7, f/f = 1) and because the original intent of this post (as mentioned here) was to see if m/m ships tend to be the “emotional heart of the story” (aka do I mostly ship m/m and is that why?) : M/M ships = 45 (YES = 28, NO = 9, UNCLEAR = 8) F/M ships = 41 (YES = 28, NO = 6, UNCLEAR = 7) F/F ships = 1 ^^; (UNCLEAR = 1) And have one more set of stats, dealing with if these ships are canon or not. (“Mostly Canon” are ships whose canon status is debatable, like it was never explicitly stated, or it's an option, like in some games.) CANON = 27 (m/m = 5, f/m = 21, f/f = 1) Mostly CANON = 12 (m/m = 2, f/m = 10) Not Canon = 48 (m/m = 38, f/m = 10) So, I could probably stand to analyze these stats a little more, but the overall takeaways I'm getting are these: – My ships are fairly evenly SPLIT between m/m and f/m. – MOST of my ships are relevant to the overarching story of the series. --Most of my ships are NOT CANON, but not by a huge margin. --The “heart of the story” is SPLIT between m/m and f/m ships in my favorite series. Feel free to scroll through my 87 ships, if you want to see how I labeled them (“heart of the story”, versus not). Includes some reasoning, in most cases. Ships (or their series, in a few cases) listed under the cut: Killugon, Leopika, Oumugi, Cobymeppo, UsoNa, ZoLu, Hanna/Zombie, McHanzo, Reaper76, Roadrat, Promptis, Gladnis, DekuMight, Mammet, Genosai, Victuri, Destiel, Shakarian, Jaal/Ryder, Newmann, R/Julie, Kataang, Zukaang, Korrasami, Wuko, Gigolas, ZADR, Wolfstar, Fawkes/LW, Gob/LW, Nick/SS, Trying Human, Otasune, Bosselot, Torikoma, Noragami, Oremo, Gamako, JeanMarco, CLAMP, Taibani, Tiger/Bunny, Okabe/Kurisu, 93, 58, Otani/Koizumi, Doctor/Rose, Johnlock, Sterek, Hannigram, Rumbelle, Hopurai, Sorriku, Akuroku, Leo/Ezio, Haytham/Ziio, JakDax, Nate/Elena, Lutecest, GoldenHeart, Mitjo, Blackice, Felix/Calhoun, Om/Shanti, Grocket, Max/Furiosa, Capable/Nux, Seregil/Alec, Thom/Goran, Diana Wynne Jones, Robin McKinley, Jesse/Suze, Mabelmando, Muck, Vito/Wilhelm, Lewis/Vivi, Fry/Leela, Goliath/Elisa. Good lord I can't believe I typed those all out. Well, anyway. Now you don't have to bother clicking through just to satisfy your curiosity, if none of those piques your interest.

Hunter x Hunter: --Gon/ Killua : YES, Gon and Killua's relationship IS the heart of the story. Without their intense friendship, many of the plot points in the story would never have happened. While Gon may still have found his father, the whole story would be extremely different, perhaps to the point of unrecognizability. –Leorio/Kurapika : NO. Unfortunately, as much as I love them, their relationship is not strictly integral to the story. --Meruem/Komugi : (mostly canon) YES. While it's not the entire story, their relationship IS vital to the fate of both characters and that particular arc. One Piece: --Coby/Helmeppo : UNCLEAR. While Coby and Helmeppo are not main characters, Coby was a catalyst in the early part of the series, and will probably be important again towards the end. Also, while Coby could have gotten where he is without Helmeppo, Helmeppo would likely not be who he is now without Coby, making Coby integral to Helmeppo's story. --Usopp/Nami : NO. I love them a lot, and they're both important to the story in different ways, but their relationship is not strictly necessary. --Zoro/Luffy : UNCLEAR. Obviously, Luffy is the main character, and Zoro is also super important. The story probably could have gotten where it was going without Zoro's involvement, but there have definitely been several key points which would have been different without him. (Early one, especially, and the end of Thriller Bark.) This one might require more thought. Hanna Is Not A Boy's Name: Hanna/{Zombie} : YES. While the story may still have happened without {…} (Conrad still showing up that night), the entire story would have had a different tone, as {…} is the narrator, and certain key events would have played out differently. Overwatch: McCree/Hanzo : NO. Admittedly, they don't have a lot to do with each other in canon, no matter how much I like them. Soldier 76/Reaper : YES. Their story was vital to the formation of Overwatch as we know it. Roadhot/Junkrat : NO. Not exactly vital to the overall story, although they do seem fairly important to each other. Final Fantasy XV: Noctis/Prompto and Gladio/Ignis : NO. I mean, I love the ships, but technically neither of these ships are really super important to the overall story. I would be willing to listen to arguments for this one though, since obviously the relationship between the four of them actually is super important. Boku no Hero Academia: Izuku/All Might : YES. Nothing would have happened in this series if it weren't for the relationship between these two. Not only would Izuku be lacking the power to succeed, he'd have been lacking the training and also possibly the inspiration. Likewise, All Might would likely have stagnated, instead of grown as a character. Back to the Future: Marty/Doc : YES. There would be literally no point to the entire series without either character or their relationship exactly as it is. One Punch Man: Saitama/Genos : YES. Although it may be debatable, I believe that Genos' involvement with Saitama is critical to the story. Is it, at very least, critical to Genos' growth. Yuri on Ice!!: Viktor/Yuuri : (canon) YES. Canon-gay main characters; kind of the point of the story. Supernatural: Dean/Castiel : YES. Though Dean and Sam's relationship is probably still more important, I would definitely argue that most of the plot from season 4 on could not have happened without Castiel's involvement with Dean. Mass Effect: Shepard/Garrus : (mostly canon) UNCLEAR. Garrus was fairly important to the story, especially early on, but even if he had never come around at all, the story would have been about the same. However, since you get to determine the story to some degree, you could say their relationship is about as important as you make it. Ryder/Jaal : (mostly canon) UNCLEAR. About the same as above. Their relationship was important, but not significantly moreso than other characters'. Pacific Rim: Newton/Hermann : YES. Without them working together, the plot would not have been resolved. (One could even argue their arguing was critical to the story.) Warm Bodies: R/Julie : (canon) YES. Like most of my other book ships, these two were written with each other in mind. Avatar/Legend of Korra: Katara/Aang : (canon) YES. Though the story could have got along without their romantic involvement, their general relationship was absolutely vital to the plot. Zuko/Aang : YES. Their relationship provided most of the conflict from the early half, and much of the character development from the later half. Korra/Asami : (canon) UNCLEAR. If they had been only acquaintances, the plot would likely have carried on mostly the same, however the ending would have been different, of course. Mako/ Wu : NO. Their relationship made a couple of plot points in the last season, but the story would have got by okay without it. The Lord of the Rings: Gimli/Legolas : NO, although I'd be willing to hear arguments to this one. I don't recall that their relationship was particularly necessary to the plot's resolution. Invader Zim: Zim/Dib : YES. Literally the entirety of the story would be pointless without their relationship. Harry Potter: Sirius/Remus : YES. Primarily in the 3rd book/movie, but the story would have gone drastically differently if not for their past friendship. It would likely have had a huge butterfly effect. Fallout 3: Fawkes/Lone Wanderer : YES. Fawkes was key in helping get the GECK, and also having LW, y'know, not die in the DLC. If Fawkes didn't massively respect the LW, the LW would just be shit out of luck. And also dead. Gob/Lone Wanderer : NO. Poor Gob's just stuck slaving away as a bartender. Hell I don't think you even have to talk to him once to advance the story. =[ Fallout 4: Nick Valentine/Sole Survivor : YES. Nick is instrumental in helping SS find their son, and if it weren't for his respect for them, SS would have a very difficult time with several legs of the journey. And don't get me started on how their backstories are a mirror of each other! Trying Human: Rose/Hue, Longus/Don, Philena/EBE1, Quazky/Gracelis, FJ12/Pigment : (canon) YES. The charm of a good webcomic, eh? =D Metal Gear Solid: Snake/Otacon : YES. Moderately important in MGS1, Otacon and Snake's relationship becomes crucial in 2 and 4. Also, “Can love bloom on the battlefield?” Yes, Otacon. Yes it can. (I'd write a manifesto about these two if I had the energy.) Big Boss/Ocelot : YES. Quite a lot of the entire series would never have happened if it weren't for Ocelot's hero-worship crush on Big Boss. It's pretty important. Toriko: Toriko/Komatsu : YES. To be fair, I haven't read/watch this series in years, but the earlier parts of the series put a lot of focus on the budding partnership between these two characters. Ugh, talk to me about the part where they climb a giant beanstalk in order to eat a heart-shaped vegetable in tandem to commemorate their partnership. Geez. It's a little hard to say if their relationship was vital to the actual plot, because I'm still not sure what the plot was, but it was definitely vital to the story. Noragami: Yato/Hiyori : (mostly canon) YES. As the main characters, the story revolves mostly around them, and if they didn't care for each other, there would be no reason for half of the events to happen. Kazuma/Bishamon : (mostly canon) UNCLEAR. At least one key backstory event only occurred because of their relationship, but the story might have happened similarly without it. Kofuku/Daikoku : (mostly canon) NO. I love them, but the story could probably exist okay without them. Ore Monogatari: Takeo/Yamato : (canon) YES, but obviously, as it's a romantic comedy. The story is literally all about them. Kill la Kill: Gamagoori/Mako : NO. Although they featured together in a few important scenes, the story could have progressed without them ever being in the same frame. Attack on Titan: Jean/Marco : NO. The entire story would have probably been just fine without them, although Jean might be a different person without Marco's influence. CLAMP: (mostly canon) YES. I'm just gonna go ahead and say that all of my ships from CLAMP series are vital to both the story and the characters' growth. This might be an exaggeration, but only slightly. Tiger&Bunny: Kotetsu/Barnaby: YES. Because, obviously, what's Tiger&Bunny without Tiger and Bunny? The story would have gone nowhere without either of them, and the focus on their growing relationship was super important. Steins;Gate: Okabe/Kurisu : (mostly canon) YES. The plot forces the relationship between Okabe and Kurisu in an interesting way, so it is sort of super relevant. Saiyuki: Sanzo/Goku : YES. Gojyo/Hakkai : UNCLEAR. To be honest, I just haven't watched the series in a while, so I'm a little cloudy on the finer points of this ship. I'd say they're important, and from what I remember they are important to each other's story, but I don't recall how vital their relationship is to the overall plot. Lovely Complex: Otani/Koizumi : (canon) YES, because it's a romantic comedy and these are the two main characters. Doctor Who: Doctor/Rose : (canon) YES. In love with two different Doctors, and (as far as I know) the only one to end up with one permanently! Their relationship was so damn important that it came back even after Rose retired as a companion! Sherlock: Sherlock/John : YES. The series wouldn't even remotely exist without their relationship. Teen Wolf: Stiles/Derek : NO. The necessity of either character to the overall plot is debatable; they certainly didn't have to interact in order for the series to continue, even if those were some of the best scenes. Hannibal: Hannibal/Will : YES. Though I never caught up with the series, it was clear even from the very start of season 1 that the relationship between these two was the drive of the whole story. Once Upon a Time: Rumpelstiltskin/Belle : (canon) UNCLEAR. Though they're both important to each other and other characters at multiple points in the story, their relationship is probably not all that important to the other characters. (To be fair, this is based mostly off of seasons 1 and 2.) Final Fantasy XIII: Hope/Lightning : NO? It's been a while since I played the game, and while I love Hope, I seem to recall that he wasn't terribly important? (Was anybody important in that game? What even was the plot??) Kingdom Hearts: Sora/Riku : YES. I mean, Sora did spend pretty much forever searching for Riku, and Riku did spend basically the whole time being a pain. Axel/Roxas : UNCLEAR. Roxas' existence and story probably could have happened without Axel. But to be honest, it's Kingdom Hearts; I could never remember all the fine details. Assassin's Creed: Leonardo/Ezio : UNCLEAR. I mean, Ezio would have died or failed several times without Leo's inventions, but Leo himself wasn't strictly necessary. Haytham/Ziio : (canon) YES. Well, Conner wouldn't exists without them, so. Jak and Daxter: Jak/Daxter: YES. There would have been literally no point to the series if it weren't for their relationship. Uncharted: Nate/Elena : (canon) UNCLEAR. A rare female love interest, Elena was there from the very beginning and throughout the whole series, kicking ass and helping the plot along. Could the series have gone on without her and Nate's intricate relationship? Probably. But who would have wanted that? Bioshock Infinite: Robert/Rosalind : (mostly canon) YES. Only because of their fantastic weird obsession with science and themselves was the cross-dimensional travel that made the plot happen even possible. Nimona: Blackheart/Goldenloin : (mostly canon) YES. Their relationship is central to the backstory, and the later parts of the story. Long Exposure: Mitchel/Jonas : (canon) YES. Again, because it is a webcomic, and they're specifically written with each other in mind. Rise of the Guardians: Jack/Pitch : UNCLEAR. While both are critical to the story, it probably could have gone on fine without their interactions. However, Jack's personal arc wouldn't have had the same emotion without Pitch's involvement. Wreck-it Ralph: Felix/Calhoun : (canon) UNCLEAR. Their relationship was a key point in the story, but the overall plot could have probably happened without it. Om Shanti Om: Om/Shanti // Om/Sandy : (mostly canon) YES. Without Om's love for Shanti, the entire second half of the plot wouldn't have worked out. Sandy's love for Om was also critical. Guardians of the Galaxy: Rocket/Groot : YES. I think it's safe to say that the whole crew would have died if it weren't for Groot, and it's unlikely that he would have been there in such a capacity without his partnership with Rocket. Mad Max: Fury Road: Max/Furiosa : (canon) YES. Story couldn't go anywhere without them, and their relationship was important at certain points. Capable/Nux : (canon) YES. Though their relationship was not vital to the overall story, it played a huge part in the resolution. Nightrunner: Seregil/Alec : (canon) YES. Canon-gay main characters, obviously the story goes nowhere without them. HERO: Thom/Goran : (canon) UNCLEAR. Though the relationship between the characters is a key element in the story, it probably could have happened pretty similarly even if the two did not develop a romantic involvement. (Would've been a different story; still, Thom's other relationships are roughly as important.) Diana Wynne Jones' books: Howl/Sophie, Vierran/Mordian, Tom/Penny, etc : (canon) YES. All main characters, written with the intention of being involved with each other, they are vital to their stories. Robin McKinley's books: Narl/Rosie, Cecily/Little John, Beauty/Beast, etc : (canon) YES (mostly). Main characters written to revolve around each other, with the exception of Cecily and Little John, whose relationship was probably not strictly necessary for the overall story. The Mediator: Jesse/Suze: (canon) YES. Same deal with my other canon book ships: they were literally made for each other. Gravity Falls: Mabel/Mermando : (mostly canon) NO. Their relationship was only relevant for an episode, and had it not existed, most of the story would have been the same. Motorcity: Mike/Chuck : UNCLEAR. It probably ought to be a “no”, but the series didn't get that far, so I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt. XD; The Reward: Vito/Wilhelm: (??? canon?) YES. I mean, the story was 100% about their bromance. Mystery Skulls Animated: Lewis/Vivi : (canon) YES. Poor ghost man just misses his nerdy girlfriend. Futurama: Fry/Leela : (canon) UNCLEAR, since Futurama didn't really have an overarching plot for their relationship to be relevant to. But GOD did you see the last episode? I mean, they were definitely a central plot point of the story, even if they weren't strictly 'necessary' to it. Gargoyles: Goliath/Elisa : (canon) YES, hella yes. Their relationship (both platonic and romantic) was greatly important to the overall story, many times. Though the gargoyle characters could have existed without Elisa, the story would have lacked most of its emotional component. (And that’s just about that! I left off a bunch of old ships, because there’s just no way I have the time and energy to list stuff I haven’t been into in years. Also I probably forgot some, but oops?)

#elo talks #shipping #long post #statistics #look a comprehensive list of most of my ships #please feel free to reblog or reply or message me with any comments you have #although this is of course all just my opinion

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